Love is Never Easy
by MissLevinLover
Summary: Love is fragile. And we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds.
1. Late Night Caller

_**A/N: Okay here we go, New re-write. I have spent AGES tidying this up and improving it to a good standard. And 7 pages! Wow! I didn't know I could write that much! Anyway here it is Tough Love: Late Night Caller :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I Samantha Thomas Caunt own nothing apart from the plot. All characters are owned by Man of Action, who in turn are owned by Cartoon Network who is owned by Warner Bro's Studios. **_

_**Summary: It's the year 2013, Julie and Ben are 18 and in their senior year at High School. They have been dating for 3 years and are still going strong. Ben, still being Hero of Earth is still juggling Hero Time and being a normal teenager. But he has got better at handling it, although he still misses the occasional date and special occasion, but always make it up to Julie, who is taking everything in her stride and continues to be Ben's supporting Girlfriend. The Media has backed off Ben a little bit, taking some stress of their relationship. But do sometimes make up rumours about the couple. Kevin and Gwen are also still going strong with their relationship, and have a very strong connection to each other. Although the Alien fighting trio don't spend as much time together as they used to, they still sometimes meet at Mr Smoothie's and talk about life as well as going on missions together. **_

Emerald stared into hazel, Determination was written over the young mans face as his gaze flickered back and forth from the prize to his opponent. But she wasn't backing down. Oh no, she wasn't going to let him win this one. He had gotten his way too many times and she was putting her foot down. Muscles tensed in anticipation, as the stare down carried on.

Neither opponent was showing any signs of breaking, the girls fingers twitched as she readied herself to slap away the offending hand from the prize that was rightfully hers. The silence that hung in the air was deafening, the players not daring to breathe or even blink encase they missed their opportune moment to claim the treasure for themselves.

It all happened in slow motion. The boys hand shot out like a rocket, its sights set on grabbing the ultimate prize. But just as the hand was about grab it, a slim hand slid underneath his larger one and snatched up the prize, and it was quickly shoved into the winners awaiting open mouth.

The losers eyes widened in shock as he watched her happily munch on the thing he had worked so hard to get. As she swallowed a smug smile slid its way onto her lips as she watched amused at her partners opened mouth shock at her Ninja-like skills.

"I can't believe you stole my last chilli-fry!" Ben whined as her crossed his arms over his chest in a child like manner.

"You're just jealous because I am quicker than you" Julie said as she proceeded to lick her fingers clean of the remaining chilli residue. Ben just sat there and continued to pout over his loss; Julie just rolled her eyes at his child like behaviour.

Seeing that his pout wasn't going to let up anytime soon, Julie got up from her side of the booth on which they were sitting at and went over to Ben's side. Sitting down next to him she planted a quick kiss on his cheek and giggled when his cheeks slightly tinted pink.

"What was that for?" He asked with a smile on his face after turning to face her.

"For taking the last chilli-fry and to get you to stop pouting" Julie replied and gave Ben a grin.

"Do you know what would really make me happy?" he mumbled and leant forward, Julie knew were this was going and she too leant forward. Soon there lips were millimetres apart and Julie could feel Ben's warm breath on her lips. She closed her eyes in anticipation, but of course a certain dark-haired ex-con had to come spoil it for them

"Sorry to interrupt your face sucking session" Kevin said loudly causing the two teens to jump away from each other and almost causing Julie to fall off her seat, both had deep blushes on there faces, making Kevin snicker.

"Is there not one day you can go with out tormenting me or embarrassing the hell out of me" Ben asked, angry at the fact the Osmosian teen had ruined yet another one of his dates.

"Nah what would be the fun in that? Teasing you makes my day Benji" The dark haired teen smirked as Ben glared daggers at him.

"Can't I take you anywhere Kevin?" A voice said behind from were the three teens were. They all turned their head to see Gwen walk towards them a thin crimson eyebrow raised as she waited for Kevin's witty comeback.

"Aw you know you love it really" the oldest of the four said and wrapped a strong arm around Gwen's wait and kissed her temple. Gwen just rolled her eyes at her immature boyfriend and set to the task of telling Ben what was happening.

"Ben we got trouble" she started and heard an audible groan from her brunet cousin "There's an alien causing trouble in Franklin, Tennessee. Grandpa Max wants us to check it out" she finished watching her cousin's facial expression droop.

"Why can't the Plumber Kids check it out? They passed their formal training ages ago!" he asked. Julie who had been listening to the whole conversation felt her heart drop; she loved it when she got to spend quality time with Ben. But lately more and more alien activity had been popping up around the world, so they hadn't really had time to have a date in a while.

"They are on a mission half way across the universe Ben, The time it would take them to get here we could have done it and been home" Gwen said exasperated, it was like explaining it to a bunch of kindergartners.

"Fine" he growled and turned to face Julie, regret and sadness swimming in his emerald orbs. "I'm really sorry Jules, I know we haven't had a lot of time together and when we do I get called away" He averted his gaze down to the table not wanting to see the hurt in her beautiful hazel eyes. "I know I'm a crap boyfriend, putting hero business before you" he continued but was stopped when a slim hand rested on his own.

"Ben, I forgive you. I know that hero business is important, and I don't mind sharing I really don't. You are trying and that's I all ask. You're not a terrible boyfriend, your sweet, kind caring and funny, and I'm glad I found you" she told him. Ben looked up to find her smiling at him, he gave a smile back. They lent in a shared a kiss, Gwen smiled at the pair, glad that after all the crap with the media and rumours that they were still going strong. While Kevin just pretended to gag at the love fest in front of him, he soon stopped after Gwen landed a short sharp jab of her elbow into his side causing him to grunt in pain.

When they pulled apart Julie cupped Ben's cheek in her hand and stared deep into his eyes. Ben could see the worry swirl around her hazel eyes, "Be careful okay?" she whispered just loud enough for him to hear "Am I not always?" he said with a cheeky grin but seeing that it wasn't easing the worry he turned serious "Don't worry Jules, I'm coming back. I'm not leaving you anytime soon, not without one hell of a fight anyway"

Julie smiled and Ben gave her one of his own, He lovingly kissed her forehead before getting up and facing his team mates. "We taking the Rust bucket?" he asked the Osmosian, who just gave him his trademark devilish grin

"Of course, she hasn't been used in a while since I had to fix her up after that battle with the shape shifter" The alien morpher nodded his head in understanding and they set off, but not before Ben had turned round and given Julie a wink that meant '_When we get back I will make it up to you' _

She watched them until she could no longer see her boyfriend signature green jacket, finishing her smoothie she threw the empty cup in the bin and headed on the long trek back home.

Walking down the scarcely populated streets, Julie watched as a young couple walked past, holding each others hand smiling and laughing. It made her heart ache, she knew that Ben couldn't be with her as much normal couples because of his duties but it didn't mean she didn't miss him when he did go.

After another 15 minutes of walking she finally made it home. She couldn't have been happier to see her mothers bright pink flamingo's that decorated their front garden, making it look like some artificial zoo. Smiling slightly to herself she headed up her driveway ready to have some of her mothers home cooked food and then to curl up in her bed and sleep.

Stepping inside her nose was assaulted with the smell of lasagne and homemade chips., a large grin broke out on her face and she quickly made her way to the kitchen were she found her mother serving up dinner.

"Hey sweetie, your home early. I thought you had a date with Ben?" he mother said while placing some salad on a plate. Julie's shoulders sank a little; she had just gotten ridden of the feeling of loneliness until her mother had brought it up again

"Err... Yeah they had to go off on another mission" she said half heartily, really not wanting to get into another argument with her mother about the fact that Ben seems to prefer Hero Time more than her.

She knew that wasn't true, Ben had always told her honestly that sometimes he wished he could take the watch off and just be a normal guy again. A guy who goes out on dates with his girl friend without having to worry that his plumbers badge might go off. Or be able to walk down the street without people hooding him for autographs or people being wary of him encase he snapped and turned into an alien and killed them all.

But luckily her mother said nothing and got an extra plate out for Julie to eat. Just as she sat down to start eating her father entered and looked at Julie warily.

"Julie, I thought you had a date with Ben? Or did he cancel again" Her father asked, his heavy Japanese accent slightly hiding his anger. Julie rolled her eyes at her parents, she knew they didn't like the fact that he kept sometimes leaving her halfway through dates but she thought they would have got over it by now.

"No Dad he didn't cancel, he got called away" she said exasperated. She was fed up having to explain Ben's situation to them.

"Still doesn't give him the right to keep leaving you or standing you up" Her father said loudly, he accent making him sound stern. Julie sighed; it was the same every time. She would tell them, they get angry at the fact she had been left again and tell her over and over again how she could get someone better.

"Dad it's not his fault okay? He can't just ignore calls; people's lives could be at risk! And don't even start telling me I could do better because I don't care. I love him and that's all that matters" she said angrily, officially ending the conversation.

The rest of dinner was eaten in silence, once she finished Julie picked up her plate and placed it into the sink before trooping upstairs without a word to her parents... Once in her room she plopped face first onto her bed and screamed into the pillow.

"Ship?" a little technological voice chirped, a black and green blob slithered out from under her bed. It one lone eye looking at it owner worriedly, he could tell something was bothering her.

Julie looked up and smiled when she saw Ship "Hey boy" she called, Ship wagged his tail in response and jumped onto the bed and snuggled into her side. The raven haired girl giggled and affectionately scratched his head.

Yawning, Julie got off her bed and went to get changed into her jammies which consisted of a tight tank top and a pair of slightly too small shorts., she really didn't care what she looked like, nobody was going to see her anyway. Crawling into bed she let out another yawn and snuggled into her pillow, Ship followed and settled next to her and shut himself down. Julie's last coherent thought before she fell into a deep sleep was that she hoped Ben was okay.

Ben winced as he pulled himself out of his car, the alien they had fought was quite aggressive, and had even managed to take Kevin down in one single punch. It was about 7ft tall and was covered in a kind of scalely armour that protected it from attacks. Instead of fingers on its hands it had 4 long sharp midnight blue knives as claws; its feet were bird like in structure and were bright mustard yellow that stood out against its forest green armour.

It had managed to slice Ben's side with one of its claws when the Ultimatrix had timed out. The wound had been quite deep and he had lost a lot of blood, if it wasn't for Gwen noticing he had been hurt and was unable to transform and put up a shield when the monster attempted to stab him in the heart, he would have been dead.

As Ben looked around he smirked at the bright flamingo's that took up the front yard. Julie's mother always did have a weird taste in design. Sneaking round the back, he located Julie's window, lifting up his left arm and wincing as he did so he popped up the faceplate of the Ultimatrix and selected Big Chill. Being careful not to move too much and split open his wound again he pushed down the dial.

A bright green flash erupted around him, when it died down in his place stood a large moth like alien with piercing lime green eyes. "Big Chiiilll" he hissed, turning intangible he flew up into her bedroom. He had sneaked into her bedroom before; Kevin had given him the idea after all the times he had snuck in Gwen's bedroom of a night time.

Once in her bedroom he turned back to normal and crouched beside her as she slept in her bed.

"Julie, Jules" he whispered careful not to make too much sound encase her parents found out he was in her bedroom. She mumbled something and dug her head deeper into her pillow; Ship on the other hand had heard Ben and was happily chirping his name and wagging his tail.

"Hey boy" Ben whispered in greeting to the little alien pet "Do you think you can get her up without making to much noise?" he asked the little mechamorph, hoping maybe he would have more success at waking the sleeping girl. Ship chirped his name again and began to nudge her, repeating his name over again.

Ben could see her slowly coming round, opening her eyes; she blinked a couple of times to get her eyes used to the darkness that showered her room like a blanket. She could hear Ship happily chirping her name and nudging her side, lifting her arm she comfortingly stroked his head in an attempt to calm her ecstatic pet down.

"What's up boy?" she mumbled tiredly, hoping that it was nothing so she could go back to the lovely dream she was having.

"Hey Jules" a very familiar voice called out to her, her slowly drooping eyes shot open, the tiredness she once felt being replaced by confusion and surprise. She turned her head in the direction the voice came from and was met with the sight of her boyfriend's grinning face.

"Ben! What the hell you doing in here!" she angrily hissed, even though inside her heart was hammering in her chest and her stomach was doing flips at the fact he had come home alive and safe.

"I wanted to see you and let you know that I'm safe and you don't have to worry about me anymore" he told her, a cheeky grin on his face. Julie tried to be angry at him and glare at him, but the way his eyes glittered in the trickle of moonlight that had made it through her window, and the way his grin brought out the dimples in his face and made her want to grin along side him made it extremely hard for her to be the slightest bit angry at him for breaking into her room.

"There is such a thing called a cell phone which **normal** people use to tell other **normal** people they are safe and not break into their girlfriends bedroom, in the middle of the night while her parents are asleep down the hall" She scolded him and got up to open the window. Ben gawked at her wardrobe choice; it extenuated her womanly curves and showed off more skin than usual. Plus, with the added trickle of moonlight that shone over her body, made her look like a goddess. He was having an internal battle with himself to stop him jumping her right then and there and exploring her exposed flesh that taunted him.

"Yeah but Jules, we not normal. Normal doesn't even register in our vocabulary" he reminded her, still having trouble stopping his eyes wandering over her scantily clad body.

"Yeah I know, But sometimes when you have a life like ours a bit of normal is what you need" she said and lent out of the open window, letting a small breeze blow on her face, making her shoulder length raven coloured hair seem like it was dancing around her head.

Guilt washed over the male teen. He knew how hard it was for Julie, with him being gone most of the time she was left alone. This made people talk and rumours to be spread, it was especially hard when the story came out that he was having it away with another girl and covering it up by saying he had missions. He had come to her house babbling about how it wasn't true and he loved her and would never ever do that to her. She had just shrugged it off and kissed him to make him shut up, he was glad she had because he was running out of things to say.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slightly exposed waist "I'm sorry Julie, I really am. I never wanted this to happen and I wish that you never had to through all this" he whispered in her ear.

She sighed and lent into his embrace "I knew when I started going out with you things were going to be hard, so I'm not surprised. Things will calm down and get better, we just have to grit our teeth and get through the worst of it. I'm sure these experiences will make our relationship stronger" she told him, but a little voice inside her head screamed _or break it up and ruin us _but she pushed that thought back not really wanting to even start to think about not being with Ben after all this time.

She turned around and faced him, a smile on her face. "I love you, I'm not going to break up with you over some stupid thing" she said and wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning in their lips met in a searing kiss, they moved in perfect sync and fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw. They poured all their emotions into that one kiss, showing how much they needed each other. Ben ran his tongue along her bottom lip begging for entrance, she eagerly let him in, and taking his chance he explored the silky cavern. Their tongues danced together, it was like poetry in motion.

As the minutes ticked by the need for air got more intense until they were forced to break apart, chest's heaving as they forced air into their lungs. Ben rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed as he revelled in the moment. Julie was the first to break the comfortable silence albeit breathlessly.

"Come on, you can stay here tonight. I don't want you driving home tired" she said, more like demanded to her boyfriend who was still reeling from the intense kiss earlier. But he soon snapped out of it and gave her a confused look and tilted his head slightly to the side, Julie couldn't help but think how cute he looked at that moment.

"But what about your parents? If they find me in here they will skin me alive, and I quite like having my skin on my body thank you very much" the alien morpher said worriedly. Yeah he could stand next to an atomic bomb and not blink but Julie's father scared the living shit out of him, and he would rather not have to explain to him why he was in his daughter's room.

Julie just rolled her eyes at him "Don't worry Ben, they go to work early and only come in to wake me up for school, so when they come in you can hide under the bed" she soothed and ran her fingers through his messy muddy coloured locks. He leaned into her touch, realising how tired he was he decided to agree. It would be dangerous to drive like this.

Nodding his head he followed her to the bed and stripped off his jacket and shoes, he blushed when she pointed to his pants, making her giggle. He was just glad he didn't have to take off his top, he didn't want Julie to see the wound on his side and worry, and she had enough on her plate as is. They crawled into bed, Ben slower than Julie. And soon they were laying together her head laying on his chest, directly over his heartbeat. The soothing rhythm and Ben gently running his fingers through her soft hair lulled her to sleep. Ben stayed awake, he looked at the sleeping girl in his arms. He had done so much wrong with her, missing dates and games. Being an obnoxious and oblivious jerk. Yet here she was, laying in his arms sound asleep, he didn't know why she had stayed with him. But deep down he was glad, she was the only thing in his life keeping him grounded and in touch with normality. She was the person at the end of the day he looked forward to seeing, to be able to hold her in his arms like he was now. She was his angel.

"Night, my beautiful angel" he whispered and lovingly kissed her forehead, before joining her in a blissful sleep.

_**A/N: Well there you have it! My new first chapter! If you liked it review, and if you didn't still review and tell me why you didn't. **_

_**And if you want to follow me on twitter the name is **__**TennysonAddict**__** I will auto follow back :)**_

_**Until next time **_

_**Sammyantha x x x **_


	2. The Perfect Date

"Hey are you ok?" Julie was sat in a bland school cafeteria next to an unusually quiet Ben, He looked up "huh what?" Julie giggled "I asked if you were ok? You seem a little quiet" Ben gave her a weak smile "yeah I'm just thinking that's all" Julie but a reassuring hand on his shoulder "Ben if this is about what happened to Gwen you shouldn't beat yourself up about it, Gwen can handle herself she has forgotten about it and so should you" Ben let out a sigh "i guess you're right, like always" he gave her a cheeky smile Julie gave him a playful shove "and don't you forget that!"

Later that day Julie was waiting outside the school gates for Ben as usual, but when she saw him he seemed overly happy like he was hiding something, she gave him a puzzled look "why are you so happy all of a sudden?" he gave her a confused look "what can't I just be happy to see my beautiful girlfriend?" Julie tried to hide the blush that was forming on her cheeks "not without me thinking you're planning something" Ben pretended to be hurt "oh that's nice I cant be happy to see my girlfriend without her thinking I'm planning something" Julie raised an eyebrow "but you are planning something" Ben sighed in defeat "You know me to well, yes I am but it's a surprise, and I'm not telling you anything till we get there" Julie sighed "fine I guess I will just have to wait" Ben gave Julie a tight hug "That's my girl, I will pick you up at 7 ok?" and with that he kissed her goodbye and headed of home with a skip in his step.

At Julie's house Julie was sorting through a pile of clothes trying to figure out what she should wear on hers and Bens date, her thoughts soon wondered to what the date might be like maybe he will take me on a romantic walk in the park and we will sit and watch the stars she thought. She was soon jerked out her fantasy by her mom shouting at her from down stairs "Julie, Gwen is here", just as Gwen walked into the room Julie let out a frustrated sigh "Gwen help me I have nothing to wear for tonight! And he is going to be here soon!" that wasn't completely true she thought i have a lot of nice clothes but I have no idea where we are going. Gwen let out a small giggle "Gweeennn" Julie protested "this is no laughing matter" Gwen stopped "Sorry, Look let me find you something to wear" and sure enough after a couple of minutes of searching Gwen found the perfect outfit, A black pair of tight fitting jeans and a white top with sequins, brown boots and a green cropped jacket. After Gwen had helped Julie with her hair and makeup they sat chatting on her bed until they heard Ben's green and black sports car turn up. Julie said goodbye to Gwen and her parents, and when she got outside she saw Ben leaning up against his car holding a bunch of red roses, Julie ran up to him giving a hug "Oh Ben they are beautiful" Ben Blushed "not as beautiful as you though". This time Julie couldn't help but blush. She kissed him, hard. Her warm lips touching his, when they finally split Ben let out a small laugh "Wow I should get you roses more often". When they got in the car Ben pulled out a black blindfold and placed it on Julie "this is to help keep the surprise till we get there".

After 20 minutes of driving Ben finally stopped the car and helped Julie out, Ben had a smug grin on his face "you can take the blindfold off now", Slowly Julie took of the blindfold off and gasped at what she saw, Ben had taken her to the beach just as the sun was setting making the sea dance with colour, and laying on the sand was a blanket surrounded by flickering candles 'oh Ben' she said tears filling her eyes "It's Beautiful" she wrapped her arms around his neck "you are the best boyfriend in the whole world" Julie kissed him as passionately as she could, when they pulled away Ben stared at her his emerald eyes shimmering "so I guess this makes up for me leaving you at Mr. smoothy's" Julie let out a small giggle "You couldn't have done any better".

After they had finished eating and packed up, Ben and Julie lay on the blanket, Ben had his arm around Julie's waist while she rested her head and hand on his muscular chest; they both looked at each other, Ben bent down and gave Julie a soft kiss on the lips, Julie then wrapped her hands behind Bens head and deepened the kiss, Soon they were making out both tongues struggling for dominance, searching every crevice of each other's mouths. When Julie breathlessly pulled away Ben started nipping the flesh on Julies neck making her shudder and moan with pleasure Julie then while catching her breath whispered into Ben's ear "Ben ... I'm ready"...


	3. The Morning After

Julie woke up to find herself wrapped up in Ben warm arms, last night still rolling through her mind, she felt safe and content in his arms because it was just the two of them no aliens, no Gwen and Kevin and best of all no paparzzi. Ever since Ben's identity had been exposed 2 years ago it had become increasingly difficult to find a place in or around Bellwood were they wouldn't be spotted and chased down by the press and/or fans wanting an autograph. But for now it was them wrapped up in each others arms lulled by the beating of their hearts.

She wanted to be able to do this forever, she wanted to be able to wake up safe and sound in his arms but she knew that he would have to off and fight aliens and she would be left carefully watching the news to ease the worring that he had got hurt or worse killed. He would always make it up to her if he had to go he would shower her with flowers and gifts, but if he was gone she would be an empty shell. He was always the one to make her laugh even over the stupidest things, His goofy smile would make her heart flip inside her chest everytime she saw it, even the way he would squeal like a little fan-girl everytime there is a new smoothy flavour at Mr smoothys made her love him even more.

Looking at the clock on Ben's bedside table she realised what time it was the red neon lights read 12:00am "Damn" she hissed, she needed to get home, peeling herself away fom her boyriends warm protective arms she got dressed, Grabbing a piece of plain paper from the printer that sat on Ben's cluttered desk she wrote a quick note and left it on his bedside table gently kissing his forhead she left, but not before she took a last look at the boy that completed her and made her feel special.

Ben woke up at around 1:30 in the afternoon, when he discovered that a certain Asian beauty was not in his arms he looked around and his emerald gaze settled on the note by the side of his bed with his name it in Julies signiture curvy handwriting . Opening it he read the note inside...

_Dear Ben _

_Thank you for such a beautiful night you truley are the best boyfriend in the world i only wished that i could have stayed for longer but Gwen can only cover for me for so long! _

_Anyway text me when you wake up and maybe we can chill later this afternoon_

_I love you with all my heart and more my sexy little hero_

_Love_

_Julie x x x x x_

Ben smiled to himself, Julie always had that effect on him, He could be deadly serious but one look at him with those dazzling hazel eyes and he would melt like butter. No matter upset he may be Julie alway had a way of cheering him up even if it was just by being there. She was the one that kept him grounded, the one that was always there to brighten his day, without her didn't know what he would do to get through all the grueling times in his life. She was his rock as was he hers, he would go to the ends of the universe to make her happy and help her though anything that life threw at them

little did Ben know but they were about to face the toughest trial that neither of them expected...


	4. Finding Out

**A/N : Ok this chapter is longer than the rest so i hope you enjoy!  
On a different note i watched the new Ben 10: Ultimate Alien the other day i am just thinking what the hell Man of Action! what is it with Ben almost kissing Elena? and especially when Julie was only a couple of feet away! First Eunice and then Elena! he seems to have kissed more girls that are not his girlfriend than his actuall girlfriend! i swear by the end of season two Benlie will be over!**

Anyway little rant over enjoy! i will try to update soon!  
Disclaimer: *sigh* I dont own Ben 10 Man of Action does (Because if i did there would be a whole lot more Benlie!)

Julie walked in the front door arms weighed down by numerous shopping bags, courtesy of Ben. For the past week he had been away on a mission so to make it up to her he had taken her shopping and now she was exhausted. Dropping her bags she headed to the kitchen, going into the fridge she fished out one of the many jars of pickles that now inhabited it. She used to really hate pickles (especially after the incident with Ben and his alien Big Chill) but over the past 3 weeks she had grown to have a craving for the pickled snack, she walked over to the mahogany cupboard by the small windows and grabbed a half eaten jar of peanut butter and proceeded to dunk her pickle in it and eat it, she continued to this until both the jar of pickles and peanut butter was empty, grunting to herself she whipped out her slim pink phone and fired a text off to Ben asking if he could pick up some more peanut butter on the way home from Mr Smoothy's. They had started living together in a two bedroom apartment after her parents had found out that she would spend most of her night at Ben's while getting Gwen to cover for her and so instead of keep lying to her parents they had allowed her to move in with Ben.

Walking into their large lounge she plopped herself on the large brown leather couch that was situated by the back wall, looking through the clothes that Ben had brought for he she mumbled to herself for today she had gone up a whole dress size and had had snapped at a store assistant who had snickered at her when she had to look through the bigger dresses, Ben was forced to drag her out of the shop before she had strangled the sales assistant with her own bare hands. Her tempter had been snapping a lot lately she had tore into Kevin when he had brought her some peanut butter Because Ben was busy, when she had realised that he had got the wrong one she had threatened to cut of his balls with a rusty knife and force them down his throat. He had been so scared he had tried to run out but instead he managed to knock himself out on the door frame. She had felt bad afterwards and offered to cook him a meal but he refused saying he had to be home, but she knew that he was afraid her. To be truthful she would be too if someone threatens to mutilate her and make her eat it.

Julie sighed as she turned on their 36" LCD screen TV, flicking through the channels she finally settled on watching Teen Mom. She always thought that these people were really stupid to get themselves in that situation. But she really wasn't paying attention. That was until she heard the symtoms that one of the girls were describing about their pregnancy, Weight gain, weird cravings, mood swings and for a couple of mornings she had thrown up but she put it down to all the weird stuff she was eating.

Julie's eyes widened as all the pieces clicked together in her brain, the symtoms they had started all after that night three weeks ago! how had she missed it? Grabbing her purse and her keys she sprinted out the front door and onto her scooter.

Her tyres squealed as she skidded to a stop out the town pharmacy, running inside she quickly made her way to the right isle, snatching up a pregnancy test and headed to the cashier who gave her a funny look as she shakily handed over a couple of crumpled notes, dashing out the store she got on her scooter and quickly made her way home.

The three minutes she had to wait to find the answer were agonisingly slow but when the timer she rushed back to the bathroom picking up the test she felt as through her heart had been torn out of her chest, she almost felt like that little pink plus sign was laughing at her. Suddenly her body couldn't support her anymore and she crumpled to her floor tears streaming from her hazel eyes, her body shaking as sobs racked her body. How had a night that had made her feel on top of the world and had brought her and Ben closer than they could ever imagine turn out so wrong. She tucked her knees tightly and wrapped her fragile arms around them tears still refusing to stop.

And that how Ben found her when he came home, curled up on the bathroom floor sobbing to herself. He slowly walked over to her crouching down by the side of her he brushed some strands of midnight black hair that had fallen across her face "Julie was wrong?" but instead of responding she thrust the pregnancy test into his hand and continuted sobbing. Lifting it p he realised what it was and his eyes widened the size of diner plates "you mean your" Julie looked up from the position she was in on the floor her face red and blotchy and her eyes puffy from all the crying "Yes Ben im pregnant"

After Ben had managed to pry Julie away from the bathroom and onto the couch they sat in silence neither of them wanting to break it. They were waiting for Kevin and Gwen to arrive after Ben had called them earlier telling them that it was important. The silence was soon broken by the loud sound of the doorbell Ben got up and let them in and they walked into the livingroom worry etched on their features. Ben sat back down next to Julie and grasped her hand and gave her a ressuring smile. Kevin was the first to break the akward silence that one again filled the room "So what is it you wanted to tell us Tennyson we dont have all day" Ben swallowed the hard lump that had formed in his throat "Julies pregnant" Julie looked between the two teens infront of her gauging the reactions. Kevin just stood there his eyes wide with shock and his mouth slowly agape, Gwen's was almost the same but within in second it turned into full out rage directed towards them "What the hell were you two thinking!" she screamed her green eyes glaring daggers at the two "How could you be so stupid your 18 for christ sakes! how are you going to look after a child when you still act like one yourself! especially you Ben!" she poked him hard in the chest and then turned her narrowed gaze towards Julie "and you i thought you were better than this but your no better than those girls you find on the TV!"

Julie couldn't take the verbal abuse from Gwen anymore and rushed out the room hazel eyes once again leaking tears, she ran upstairs and hid herself in the master bedroom, she leant againt the door tears refusing to stop, she wondered why Gwen was acting like this, Gwen always said she be there for her no matter what, so why was ahe changing her mind now?

Meanwhile downstairs that had been the last straw for Ben. He stood up to his full height and towered over Gwen his normally calm emerald eyes now burning with anger, his blood boiling under his skin "Gwen! What the hell do you think your playing at upseting Julie like that?" if the phrase 'looks could kill' was true Gwe would have burst into flames right there and then "Do you think either of us wanted this? to have to raise a child at the age of 18? We never wanted this to happen but now it has you are going to have to live with it! You should apologize to Julie for what you said because no way is she like those bimbo's on TV! she is strong sensitive and smart beyond her years! she shouldn't be judged by the one mistake she has made, especially not by you of all people!"

Kevin who had been quietly stood in shock now left the room and headed upstairs to make sure Julie was ok. stopping outside the master bedroom he heard muffled sobs coming from the otherside of the door, gently opening it he poked his head through and found a distressed Julie sobbing on the bed, he hated to see her so upset when she was normally so strong and within a blink of an eye was beside he pulling her into a brotherly hug "shh Jules its OK everythings going to be fine" she looked up her normally bright eyes were dull and red from all the crying "B-but what a-a-bout Gwen?" Her voice cracking along with her emotions, he rubbed soothing shapes on her back to try and calm her down "ignore her Jules she doesn't know what she is talking about you nothing like those Idiotic girls on TV your smart, funny sensitive. You and Ben are going to be awesome parents. And we are going to help you through this okay and Gwen will come around evetually when she realises what a bitch she has been" she nuzzled her head into his warm chest and he faintly heard a muffled "thank you" come from her. After about 5 mintutes she had fallen asleep, gently laying her down on the bed he kissed her forehead and mumbled "sleep well Jules" before heading back down stairs.

Kevin stormed into the lounge anger pulsing through his veins, he found the two cousins glaring at each other, angry green boaring into angry green, he was shocked at how angry Ben looked at Gwen, the only other time he had ever seen him this angry was when Dorkstar had decided to kidnapp Julie and then had the gal to as he put it 'smack some sense into her'. He really couldn't blame Ben for being angry at her, he too was miffed at the redhead. "Gwen why on earth did you snap at Julie like that?" at the mention of her name the redhead snapped her head round in the direction of Kevin, green eyes still smoldering with anger "You're supposed to be her best friend Gwen! Do you know how much you have upset her? she bacically just cried herself to sleep in my arms! How would you like it if she turned her back on you when you really needed her to comfot you and tell you that everything is going to be ok!" He saw a flash of guilt in her eyes but they were soon back to angry she opened her mouth to reply but instead of saying anything she just stormed out the house slamming the door as she left.

Kevin let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in, he shot Ben a sypathetic look before shuffling out the door after the angry girl. Ben walked to the master bedroom and lent againt the door frame, he loved watching her sleep she was so beautiful. He relished the time he could spend with her, He just hoped when the time comes that he can be there for her and their child.

**A/N Oooo Gwen is being a total ass! tune in next chapter were Ben and Julie have to tell their parents! Drama BABY! **

**Dont forget to review!**

**Many thanks**

**Sammyantha x**


	5. Telling The Parents

_**A/N: SHE LIVES! lol Yes people I am still alive. I wouldn't be so mean as to leave you without letting you know what happens :) Anyway thanks to all those who have reviewed and I know I took FOREVER to update but I have had exams and stuff so really haven't had time to write. I will try and put the next chapter up soon I have it all planned out its just a case of typing it up :)**_

_**On another note OMG Ultimate Wildmutt is freaking amazing! hehe I love Wildmutt him Rath and Goop are my favourite aliens. Also NEW BEN 10 MOVIE! cant wait! Its going to be radical!**_

_**Disclaimer: (OK Seriously getting fed up of typing this) I dont not own Ben 10 all related characters are owned by Man of Action I own diddley squat. **_

It had been two weeks since Ben and Julie had found out that they were going to have a child and today they were going to tell her parents. Julie was nervous. Her parents idolised her as this perfect daughter who was smart good at sports and could do no wrong. She was sure that the news was going to shatter that view on her as well as their trust.

They hadn't heard anything from Gwen or Kevin since the outburst at the flat and it was weighing heavily on Julies shoulders. The only ever time that Ben would speak to Kevin was on missions and even then it was little and Gwen never came along anymore. It was worrying both of them.

They stopped of at Ben's house first before they would head of for Julies to have dinner with her parents. Carl and Sandra always welcomed her with opened arms and praised her telling her that she was a good influence on Ben and that he had been much happier after she came along. They were now sat on Ben's couch, Ben's parents sat on the other sofa looking directly at the couple. Ben gently took her hand and gave it a squeeze trying to reassure her that everything would be fine before standing up "Mum, Dad we have some news for you. I know we are way too early for this but Julie's pregnant" he looked between the two parents and was surprised to find that they were smiling, not a trace of anger on their features "Oh that's wonderful!" Sandra chirped as she stood up and gave Ben a hug.

He was beyond confused "But aren't you mad? I mean we are only 18?" Carl just chuckled and patted his son on the back "How could we be angry? Yes you are only 18 but a baby is a baby no matter how old the parents are it should always be cause for celebration" Ben let out a sigh of relief and Sandra went and sat by Julie who hadn't said a word since they were here "So Julie how far along are you?" Julie smiled, she was glad that they weren't angry and were excited just as much as she was "I'm 5 weeks"

Sandra gave her a warm smile "And have you told your parents yet?" Julies smile faded slightly "No but we are going there for dinner tonight and thats when we are going to give them the news, I dont know how they will take it though.." she trailed off as she felt tears prick at her eyes. She hoped they wouldn't be too mad, she didn't want to lose them as well as Gwen. She looked away trying to hide the fact that she was crying "I just don't want to lose them, I have already lost my best friend over this I dont want them to go as well"

Ben pulled her into a comforting hug and let her cry on his shoulder. He knew how hard this was for her, Gwen had always been there to help her with her problems but after her outburst Julie was feeling the scorn and had been bottling up her emotions and feelings which really wasn't healthy.

Sandra placed a comfoting hand on her shoulder "Julie, love Im sure that your parents will be just as supportive with you. You have a lot of people who are here to talk to and to help you, Carl and I included and im sure Max will be happy to chat with you" Julie peeled herself away from Ben shoulder and wiped away her tears "r-really" she asked hopefully Sandra nodded "Of course dear, you're part of the family" Julie gave Sandra a quick hug.

Ben's heart swelled. He had the support of his family (well most of them) and even Kevin r,was being helpful. But still the fact that Gwen wasn't still forced its way from the back of his mind, but he quickly pushed away and focused on Julie and how happy she looked. It was the first genuine smile that had graced her lips since this whole thing started. Ben couldn't help admire how beautiful she looked, even though she had tear stains down her face and her hair was a bit messy it didn't matter. As long as that heart melting smile was on her lips nothing else mattered.

"Come on Jules, we need to get going if you want to make it to your parents house on time" He told her and gave her his trademark grin, She nodded her head and gave Sandra another quick hug before doing the same thing with Carl. Ben said goodbye to his parents and promised to call and tell them how it went. Intertwining his finger with Julie's they left the house and got in the car before heading of to Julies house to tell them the news.

Dinner was a nervous affiar for the two soon to be parent's, Ben was nervously shuffling in his seat as he was asked question's about school and the Plumbers. He could feel Julie's fathers penatrateing gaze on him which doubled his nervousness. Since he was 10 he had been fighting aliens and other creatures without batting an eyelid but now he was quite literally shaking with fear. Senarios kept flashing through his head like that they would tell them and Julie' father would whip out a gun and chase him out the house and tell him he is never aloud to see her again. Although the chances of that actually happening were slim it didn't ease Ben's mind.

Julie stood up while they were just having pudding, her legs felt like jelly and her heart was hammering in her chest so hard she was sure it might crack a few ribs. "Mum, Dad we have an annoucement" she took a deep breath to steady her nerves before continuing "Im Pregnant." On hearing this her father choked on the piece of cake he was eating, and after finally disloging it Julie's mother was the first to speak "I see. Well I guess I will have to contact the free clinic in the morning..." Both Ben and Julie's eyes widened in horror and Julie wrapped a protective arm around her stomach "MUM! I am NOT getting an abortion! We are keeping this child no matter what you say!"

An akward silence filled the room. Julie's moher was quietly seething in her chair while her father was glaring daggers at Ben "You!" her mother screehed breaking the silence that hung in the air and turned to face Ben, whose face had drained of all it colour "This is your fault!" she shouted.

Her face was ablaze with fury as she pointed an accusing finger at Ben " She was fine until she met you, we always said you were never good enough for her!" those words stung Ben right to the core and it made him think that maybe her mother was right and Julie would have been better off with out him. She certainly would have been in this mess and Ben had to wonder if Julie was regretting meeting him all those years ago "She had her whole life ahead of her and now thanks to you its ruined!" Again those words hit Ben hard as he thought about how Julie could have gone to college and get the job she always deserved. But now it had all gone to pot because of him.

Some hero he was. He saved people lives daily and yet he had managed to scew up the life of the one person who meant the world to him. Julie's mother soon turned her anger on her only daughter "And Julie, I thought you were better than this! We thought you was a smart girl that would do great things one day, But now we realise you just like those other sluts from your year. Throwing away your body to the first boy who tells you he loves you, its pathetic!"

Ben stood up and faced Mrs Yamamoto, anger burning in his emerald pits. No-one, not even her own mother should dare talk about Julie that way. Especially in front of Ben, who was very protective of his asian-american beauty "I do love your daughter! I love her so much that I would go to the ends of the galaxy to make sure that she gets what she deserves and is happy. Yes I know that I'm not the best person for your daughter and that she could do way better than me. If you have to blame someone than blame me I take full responsibility for everything. But no way is she like every other girl, she is way better! She is kind, loving and see's the real me not just my aliens. And so she made a mistake? Nobody's perfect and you of all people should be supporting her not telling her that she is a waste of space!"

Before Julie's mother could shout at reply at Ben, her Father stepped in "Michelle that is enough" he said in a tone that dared her to say any different "Go into the kitchen we need to have a word" Never had Julie heard mother talk like that and it was upsetting that it was directed at her. She backed away from the table before spinning round on her heel and sprinting out the front door.

Ben went to go after her but was stopped by her father who had a determined look his face which frightened Ben and her kept his hand hovered over the Ultimatrix "Ben I'm not going to hurt you" her father stated and Ben relaxed but still had a worried look on his face. "She will be ok Ben" Ben gave him a half smile "Now before you go I need to give you something I have been planning this for a long time and wasn't going to give it to you till later but now seems a better time" Her father left the dining room and headed into a small room that was just off to the right. Which Ben guessed was the study. He returned a few mintues later with a check in his hand and handed it to Ben. Looking at the check Ben's jaw dropped and if it wasn't connected to his face it would have fell to the floor "Sir in all respect I can't take this" Julie's father just gave him a reasurring smile "Like I have said I have this planned for a long time and both you and Julie need it. If you want you can even take your cousin and her ruffian boyfriend"

Ben gave him the most grateful smile he could do "And don't worry sir I will take good care of your daughter, I would never let anything hurt her" Julie's father put a hand on his shoulder "I know you would Ben, No matter what her mother says you really are the boy for her".

Saying a quick goodbye Ben rushed out the door and into his car. He knew exactly were Julie was going and it would take that long to get there.

Pulling up at Grandpa Max's secrect fishing rock, Ben could see the faint outline of Julie sitting on the rock at the side of the lake. Her raven coloured hair shimmered in the moolight casting a light glow around her. To Ben she looked like an angel. Getting out the car he slowly made his way over to the rock, careful not to disturb her. Sitting down beside her he looked over the water that danced with colour from the moons reflection. "She hates me Ben" Julie whimpered breaking the silence, Ben turned to look at her and saw a single tear run down her face "Julie she doesn't hate you, she is just shocked by the news"

Julie didn't look up. She just continued to stare at the water hoping that maybe it would swallow her up so she could get away from all the stress and problems. Taking her hand in his larger one he laced their fingers together, they fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and it sometimes made him wonder if it was always meant to be this way. "Julie" she turned round and locked eyes with him "You see this?" He motioned to their intertwined hands "This shows that I'm here forever, I'm not leaving. I going to be here every step of the way helping you though. We started this together and we are going stay that way until we are old and decrepid and you get to scold me when Me and Kevin have a motorised wheelchair race" Julie let a small giggle as she imagined Ben and Kevin racing down the halls of an old peoples home in there suped up wheelchairs yelling threats to each other and knocking down the other poor old biddies that lived there"But what about Gwen?" she questioned. She hoped that they would make up again but by the looks of things that wasn't going to happen anytime soon "She come crawling back when she realises that you are too special and beatutiful to go without" Ben reasurred and gave her his signiture cheeky grin.

Julie smiled back, Ben always knew how to cheer her up "Now come on lets go home and get some rest because I dont know about you but I have had enough excitement for one day" Ben said as he helped her onto her feet. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him passionatley on the lips, only seperating when they were both in dire need for air. They rested their forehead together and stared deep into each others eyes "I Love you Benjamin Kirby Tennyson and thank you, for always being there and helping me through the tough times" Julie breathed, she was intoxicated by Ben's eyes that were brimming with love for her and she couldn't have been happier. "I love you too Jules and like I said im not leaving you, You are stuck with me forever" she gave Ben a heartwarming smile "and I wouldnt want it any other way"

_**A/N Ohhhhh Snap! Hehe gotta love the Benlie mush :D Anyway tune in Next time to see what happens *Spoiler alert***_ _**Gwen and Kevin are in the next chapter and things get interesting!**_

_**BYEEEE!**_

_**Sammyantha x x**_


	6. The Revelation

_**A/N: Heeeyyy everybody! Im back for another chapter! But im very upset to find that no one has been reviewing my stories *Goes and sobs in the corner* Now here is an ultimatum for you all. If I dont get at least 3 reviews I wont update. Simple as! And my 10th reviewer will get their name mentioned in my next chapter and I will review one of their stories.**_

_**On a different note, THERE IS GOING TO BE A NEW LIVE ACTION FILM! whoo! I wonder what series it will be... and there is a new game coming out Galactic Racers! Its going to be epic!**_

_**Disclaimer: I would again like to point out that I own nada, Man of Action own everything. Including me. **_

The ride home from the lake home was filled with a comfortable silence, both enjoying each others presence. Julie stared out of the window with her head was leaning on her hand, her other hand was intertwined with Ben's on the center console.

As she watched the world whizz by Julie thought about what had happened over the past few weeks. First of all she discovered she was pregnant with Ben's child, then when she told her best friend and said best friend flipped out and screamed insults at her and stormed out the house, not before Ben had stood up for her and given his favourite cousin a piece of his mind. The exact same thing had happened when they had told her parents, Her mother had basically dis-owned her as her daughter and again Ben had stood up for her and taken the blame.

Julie turned her head from were she was staring and looked over at Ben. He had a smile on his face as he crusied the car down the black top road. He looked so happy even after all this crap that had been thrown their way.

"Hey Ben" Julie called out filling the silence once inhabited the inside of the sports car. 

"Yes oh divine delight of my life" he repiled as he quickly flitted his gaze away from the endless road to look at her beautiful face. 

Julie giggled before turning back to serious "thank you" she said and squeezed his hand. 

He tore his gaze away from the road to give her a confused look "What for?" he said his emerald eyes questioning.

"for everything, standing up for me, chasing me all the way out to the lake when I was upset. And being there through all the tears and tantrums that I have been having over these weeks" she said as she looked into her lap, ashamed about the way she had been acting these past few weeks.

"Julie there is no need to thank me. I did those things because I love you and I hate to see you upset. I would do anything to make sure you were happy and safe, and im always going to here for you no matter what" He stated and gently squeezed her hand back, quickly sneaking a look into her eyes, they were swimming with tears.

"I love you too Ben" she said as she rested her head in the crook of his neck and hugged his arm. Ben kissed the crown of her oynx coloured hair, reveling in the smell of her jasmine perfume.

As soon as the car journey had started it finished, and they arrived at there medium sized apartment. Julie couldn't be more happy to be home, she was tired after all thathad happened today and wanted nothing more than to curl up on the sofa with Ben and nice cup of apple tea.

Opening the front door to the apartment Julie was met with sound of her name being called out in a high pitch squeak and was almost barreled over by a small black and green blob.

"Hey ship" she laughed as he nuzzled her neck and happily chirped his name over and over again.

She carried him into the lounge and plopped down on the sofa. Ship instantly curled up into a ball on her lap and slowly his chirping calmed down to a small purr. Just then Ben entered and seeing Ship curled up in a ball on her lap he let out a small chuckle.

"I see someone beat me to it" he said and sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her. She instinctivley rested her head on his shoulder. Soon her eyelids began to droop and within mintues she was sound asleep. But of course nothing lasts forever and Julie was woken up the shrill sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it" Ben said as he got up from the sofa and headed towards the front door.

Ship who had quite happily been snoozing on his masters lap, lifted his head "Ship?" he chirped and looked towards his owner for an an answer.

"It's ok Ship, Just someone at the door no need to worry" She cooed to him and scratched his head, causing him to let out a small purr of enjoyment.

Julie heard as Ben opened the door and then heard him mumble somewords she couldn't make out. Then she heard two other voices that she imediatley recognised. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she started to panic.

"No no no!" she whispered, she couldn't deal with them now. Not after what had happened earlier, she couldn't take anymore. But before she had a chance to do anything Ben entered the livingroom with Gwen and Kevin following.

Julie watched with a hardened gaze as they sat down on the sofa opposite to her. Gwen was nervously picking at a loose strand on the oversize hoodie she was wearing that Kevin had obviously lent her, and Kevin was sat with a reasuring arm draped around her small waist. Ben sat down next Julie and soothingly took her small hand in his much larger one and gave her a comforting look.

Gwen let out a shakey sigh before looking Julie directly in the eyes, and what Julie saw shocked her to her very core. Gwen's usually bright green pool's were now dull and lifeless, they were surrounded by dark bags and made her almost seem... haunted. Her flawless skin was dry and almost transparent looking.

Julie did an internal intake of breath at the sight of her best friend. All the hurt and betrayl was washed away and replaced with sympathy. By the looks of it through these past weeks Gwen had been through more than Julie could imagine.

"Julie, I want to apologize for my behaviour" Gwen started and went from picking at the tread to twisting her hands together "What I said was unacceptable, and Ben was right. I should have supported you, like a best friend should. I was wrong to judge you. I just hope you can forgive me, because I dont want to lose you... I cant lose you...I..I" without warning she burst into uncontrolable sobs, body spasming with every sob that escaped her pale chapped lips.

Within a matter of seconds Julie had made her across the small space that distanced them and was now embracing her worn out emotional friend.

"It's ok Gwen, shhh. I forgive you. I dont wanna lose you either. Everything will be ok" Julie comforted while rubbing soothing shapes on her back. Soon Gwens sobs redced to small whimpers until she was silent. Peeling herself away from Julie she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Thank you Julie, you dont know how much this means to me" Gwen said and gave Julie a bright smile that seemed to light up her once dark features. Julie gave one right back.

Kevin, who wasnt really impressed with all the emotions and feelings being thrown around, looked around the room. He was getting quite bored until his dark gaze settled on the brunet Ultimatrix wielding teen that was sat across from him. He could see small tears trickle down the younger boys face, the frown that once inhabited the dark haired teens pale face was now replaced by a sinister grin. Oh yes, if he had to be stuck with the annoying teen he might as well get a chuckle out of it.

"Why Benji are you...Crying?" he questioned. The grin on his face grew wider as he saw the teens emerald orbs widen in horror of being caught. He was really going to enjoy this.

Ben mentally swore to himself as he tried to think of a good excuse to why he was crying. When nothing came he spewed out the first excuse that came to mind.

"Er...no, I just...er... got a bug in my eye. Yeah! Thats it! I got a bug in my eye" he proudly annouced, a smug smile making its way to his lips as he praised himself for coming up with such a good idea. But the Osmosion wasn't buying it.

"Dont lie Benji! Your left eye twitched!" Kevin pointed out. Ben mumbled a swear word about the Osmosian for knowing his annoying twitch before coming up with his other great idea.

"It only twitched because it had a bug in it!" he protested and inwardly patted himself on the back for coming up with that so fast.

Kevin just chuckled at the green eyed boys attempt to hide that fact that he was crying "Aww you shouldn't be ashamed of your femininity Ben" he chided, the sinister grin never leaving his face.

An angry pout was smacked onto Ben's face as he glared daggers at the dark haired ex-con. "I am not a girl!" he growled out, while slamming his balled up fist down onto the plush sofa like a five year old that hadn't got his own way.

Kevin just sniggered at his behaviour "Now now Benji... no need to have a temper tantrum" he continued to taunt the younger boy. That was until a short sharp jab of Gwen's elbow shut him up.

Gwen swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. It was now or never. She sneaked a quick glance at Kevin who before was smiling at the fact that he was poking fun at Ben was now looking as nervous as her as he realised that it was time.

"Ben, Julie." she called out getting there attention "We not only came here to apologize but we need to tell you something" Gwen took a deep breath and closed her eyes, not wanting to see their faces "Im pregnant".

_**A/N: Oooooooooo! Hehe cliff hanger! Im soo evil, anyway hoped you enjoyed. Dont forget to review because remember what I said before if I dont. I wont update.**_

_**Sammyantha x**_


	7. Not so Goody TooShoes

_**A/N: Well well well young reviewers you passed the test! I got 4 reviews so well done! And congrats to the winner of the competion Ghosthead8503! Who has also helped me out with the plot, but you have to wait to find out what happens! Again thanks for all the kind words that you have said about the story Virtual Hugs For All!**_

_**Oh and Btw this story is probably going to be a good 20 maybe 30 chapters long, so its not going to be as short as you thought (Hey! That rhymed! hehe)**_

_**Disclaimer: Really? Again? Im sure you would have guessed by now i own nothing! And that Man of Action own everything . But nooo i have to keep typing it over and over again. Stupid law people. **_

The silence in the small roon was deafening. Gwen could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut as she readied herself for the verbal abuse that was sure to come her way. But nothing came, and she took the chance and cracked one emerlad orb open. Julie had a netural expression on her face while Ben's eyes were wide and looked like they were going to pop out of his skull, he mouth was moving but no words were coming out, reminding Gwen of a fish out of water. Out of natural reaction Gwen grabbed Kevin's clammy calloused hand, and he in turn gave hers a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

Gwen knew she had to handle this situation delicatley, because one wrong move could cause Ben to fly off the handle, which would then make Kevin angry and they would go back to the way they were before. And Gwen really didn't want that.

"Ben? Julie?" she tentivley questioned, studying there faces for any sign of anger. She started to get worried when they didn't answer and continued to stare at them like they had sprouted another head. Gwen started to panic. What if she had shocked them too much and they were stuck like this forever? Oh god! How would she explain this to Uncle Carl and Aunt Sandra? "Yeah we broke your son by telling him i was pregnant, sorry 'bout that" Because that would go down well..

Gwen was brought out by her psycotic ranting by the sound of Ben managing to splutter out some words.

"h-how far along are you" he slurred out. Obviously still shocked about the news that his goody-too shoes cousin was pregnant.

"4 weeks" she told him and he seem to accept it before continuing to stare at her like she was a mental patient that had managed to escape the asylum.

Julie's once blank face quickly turned into a large grin that spead all the way across her face, making her hazel eyes sparkle with happiness.

"Congratulations!" she squealed and embraced her best friend in a bone crushing hug. To stunnned about what had just happened Gwen could do nothing but sit there and let her hug her.

Looking over at Ben, Gwen noticed his one shocked and confused expression was now replaced by a thoughtful one. His eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as if he was trying to figure out the world's hardest puzzle.

Kevin had also seen this, and being one to never miss out on a chance to tease the brunet he came out with a witty remark.

"Don't think to hard Tennyson, You might hurt yourself!" He said and chuckled to himself. But Ben didn't take any notice, he was intentley staring at the glass coffe table, blocking out the rest of the world as he thought about what Gwen had told him.

Gwen and Julie were sat chatting about baby's occasionaly sqealing and giggling when Ben blurted out his hypothesis.

"Wern't we on that off world mission 4 weeks ago?" he questioned his emerald gaze staring directly into his cousin's. Gwen's face went beet red, almost as red as her hair. This didn't go unoticed by Julie who raised a thin onyx eyebrow at Gwen's uncharacteristic behaviour.

"Yeah I remember know" Ben carried on oblivious to his cousins behaviour "Because we had to share a room and you and Kevin kept me up half the night groaning each others name and making the bed squeak..." he didn't finish the sentance as his face paled and a look of horror and disgust crept it's was onto his features.

Julie gave Gwen a 'really?' look and Gwen gave her a sheepish smile. Kevin had his head in hands, embarresed about the fact Ben had managed to figure out what they were doing and even worse had actually heard them!

Ben exploded "YOU GUYS DID IT WHILE I WAS I THE FREAKING ROOM!" he screamed, his face going red from shouting. Kevim quickly came to their defence

"Well in all honesty we thought you were asleep and kind of forgot you were there..."he said while averting his gaze.

Ben's face turned to disbelief, they FORGOT about him? He was like 2 meters away! How could they forget about him?

"You FORGOT about ME!, I was in the bed right next to yours! How the hell did you forget!" he demanded, feeling slightly sick at the fact his best friend and cousin had sex right next to him, while he was AWAKE! And he had heard EVERYTHING!

Kevin scrached the back of his head while giving him a sheepish smile "uh you know spur of the moment..."

it was too much for Ben's brain to comprehend "spur...of the" his stuttered, his stomach started to churn as images of his cousin and Kevin popped into his mind. And soon he lost the battle and sprinted off to the toilet to empty his stomach and get rid of the horrid images.

Julie who had sat and wactched the whole of the arguement was enjoying watching Kevin squirm. Only a few things got to him to and so it was pure entertainment gold when you got a glimpse of it. A groan came from the red head beside her and Julie layed a warm hand on her shoulder

"Hey don't worry it's not that bad" she tried to comfort while stifling the laughter that was threatening to spring from her mouth at her quater -Anodite friend's emabrrestment.

"Really? My cousin, your boyfriend, father of your child, heard me making love to my boyfriend. How is that not bad ?" the redhead whined to her best friend. Julie couldn't help herself and let out a small giggle. Gwen looked at her, eye's narrowing in a playful manner.

"you're enjoying this aren't you?" she questioned, a hint of teasing in her voice. Julie just grinned at her.

"Maayybee" she replied while wriggling her eyebrows playfully. Both girls burst into laughter, clutching each other as giggles wracked their bodys. Kevin just looked at the girls with confusion before shrugging it ff as typical girly behaviour. He would never understand women.

Soon their laughter dies down, and Gwen let out a large yawn. Julie noticed this and quickly came up with a idea.

"Hey why dont you to stay in the guest room tonight? Im guessing you have probably had a long day and need some rest" she said, noting how worn down she looked, Gwen gave her a grateful smile.

"Thanks Julie, for everything" Gwen replied, giving her a hug.

"No problem Gwen" Julie said hugging her back "Now no funny business tonight" Julie teased with a grin on her face. Gwen just shook her head in amusment, Ben was rubbing off on her.

Julie watched as her pregnant Best-friend and her ex-con turned hero boyfriend headed of to bed with a smile on her face. Everything was turning around, she had her best-friend back, a boyfriend who loved her, and child growing inside her. And she wouldn't change a single thing.

Heading off to bed herself, Julie mangaged to drag Ben out the bathroom with the threat that if he didn't get out he would have to sleep outside. In thier room Ben was layed flat out on the bed with his face buried in the pillow

"Eugh Im scarred for life" he moaned, Julie just rolled her eyes at her over dramatic boyfriend and slid into bed next to him. He looked up and eyed up her nightwear, it was a tight tank top that was slighty too small showing off her stomach and pair of shorts that barley covered her.

Noticing him looking at her Julie shook her head "Don't get any idea's mister" Ben gave her a puppy dog look, and when that didn't work he settled for wraping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his chest.

"Oh and Ben" Julie said, resting her head on his chest. "Dont worry about getting back at them, we already did"

"What? How?" He asked confused. Julie just smiled. "Before we chose this room where did we sleep? And what did we do the first night we stayed here?" Ben's eyed widened in realisation and an evil smirk crossed his lips "God I love you" He said and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too Ben" Was Julie's last reply before she slipped into the world of dreams. Happy with her life and everyone in it.

_**A/N: YAY! Everything turned out fine! Again dont forget to review, they make me update faster!**_

_**Much love**_

_**Sammyantha x x**_


	8. Visions

_**A/N Whoo longest chapter ever! 2154 words in total, thats 4 pages worth of writing! Anyway in this chapter we see a twist in the story's plot line. Be warned this chapter does include some gruesome content (its not really bad but you know just in case) **_

_**Oh and another thing, if you want to talk to me about this story or just Ben 10 in general you can catch me on this email address scooby-doo_.uk.**_

_**And dont worry if you constantly drone on about Ben 10 or anything else for that matter, I do too. But because no-one I know really likes it or watches it I bottle up my opinions and end up spilling them out too my poor innocent unsuspecting Bestie Katie. Who really doesnt have a clue what the hell I am going on about half the time. So dont hesitate, I dont bite (most of the time lol jk) and would love to chat :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the dust bunnies under my bed. I am just a girl with a vivid imagination, and WAY too much time on her hands. **_

**Tough Love Chapter 9**

Julie woke up to the sound of Ben loudly snoring in her ear. Gently pulling away she dashed to the bathroom and after emptying the contents of her stomach for 10 mintues she headed downstairs.

Walking into their plainly furnished kitchen she went into to fridge and poured herself out a glass of orange jucie, she then sat down at the oak table that was situated in the middle if the kitchen. It was only a couple of minutes before a green looking Gwen walked in and got herself a glass of water.

"Morining Gwen" Julie happily chirped to her best friend who was leaning over the sink incase her stomach decied not to co-operate.

"Morining" Gwen droned out whilst cluching her churning stomach. Julie just shook her head in amusement at her, Though she may deny it, Gwen really was a drama queen sometimes.

"Don't worry it will soon pass" Julie tried to comfort, but failed misirabley when Gwen heaved and vomited in the sink. Sighing Julie got up and went over to help her friend by rubbing soothing circles on her back and holding her hair away from her face to keep it free from the voimit.

"Thanks" the slightly green looking redhead said after rinsing her mouth with some water. "Thats ok, Drink some milk it will help settle your stomach" Julie instructed and watched as Gwen went to the fridge and poured herself out a glass.

Julie smiled as Gwen sat at the table, staring intentley at her glass of white liquid. Then the thought occurred to her, what about school? They were only off for spring break and after that she would have to go back. And she was sure that once she started showing the rumors about her and Ben would spread like wildfire. Then the panic really started to set in, The Media. Once they found out it was over. Ben would be ridiculed and hated, even more than he is now. His rating would go up, the scandal would be everywere and they wouldn't be able to stop it.

The panic thought's raced around her head, Ben would be ruined. Both she and him would never be able to go anywere, they would be followed and scrutinized on everymove they made, especially after the baby was born.

Without warning, hot tears started to stream down her flawless face and she was frozen on the spot, as the scenarios flashed through her mind. They would delve into her family history and discover that her family was related to Admiral Yamamoto, the Admiral who led the attack on Pearl Harbour. After they found that out there would be nowhere they could run to on the Earth were they wouldn't be found and hunted down.

They would have to leave everything, their homes, their friend's everything they ever knew. The would have to take their families with them encase they were hunted down too. And before she knew it Julie had crumpled to the floor, body dissolving into sobs. The knowledge of what could happen in the future screaming in her mind. She tightly shut her hazel eye's as the screaming got louder and louder, blocking out the sounds of the real world. She didn't even register when Gwen rushed to her side and was calling out her name trying to find out what was wrong.

Vision's flashed in her mind, she could see the news reports now

'_Ben Tennyson, world renoun superhero knocks up girlfriend, only at 18'_ ,

'_Mother of Ben Tennyson's child found to be related to Admiral Yamamoto' _

_'Tennyson and child deemed a threat to the American Nation'  
'The Hunt for Ben Tennyson and Family is underway'  
'Tennyson and Family found and Killed'_

She imagined herself trapped inside her home as angry citizen's and news repoters flooded her house making it impossible for her to escape. She could hear as they screamed death threats, called her baby a freak and told her that it should have never been born. She saw how she was huddled in the corner alone and frightened, holding her crying baby as people tried to bash in the doors.

They soon broke down the doors and flooded her small home. She tried her best to hide, her best to try and defend herself and her infant from the onslaught of verbal and psysical attacks. She watched as they viciously ripped her baby away from her and held him up high like a hunting trophy. They had got him, Just like they had got her boyfriend and their families. She screamed and screamed to give her back her baby, she screamed until she could scream no more. Tears flooded down her swollen and brusied face.

She watched horrified as the leader pulled out a small knife and slit her baby's throat with malicious glee, the sticky crimsion blood flooded down his small helpless body. She listened to them chant in victory of killing the supposed 'Threat to Society'. They then threw his bloody, unmoving body away. Like a ragdoll that had seen better day's. They had killed her boyfriend, her family and now they had taken the only thing she had left. Her baby.

Then they started towards her, Faces twisted into evil sadistic grins. Eyes full of hatred and blood lust. They kicked and punched her, called her names, dragged her by her hair, cut her all over her body. Stripped her of her clothes and ridiculed her. But she couldn't feel the pain. She was too numb with the heartbreak of losing everyting she ever had by the hands of her so called friends and town members. All because of that one night all those months ago, that one night that had brought her so much joy and happiness had now turned out to be her worst nightmare.

As they continued to beat her, volley her with verbal abuse and hatred. All she could do was curl up into the smallest ball she could muster and wait till they finshed her off so she could join her family once again.

The sound of her name being called over and over again and her body being shaked, dragged her out of the horrible nightmare. Slowly it all started to come back to her, she could hear her name being worridley called out, she could feel the tears that were sliding down her cheeks.

Quick as a flash she shot up hazel eyes wide open in fear. Her frighten gaze was met with three different one's ranging from concern to fear to relief. But the one she concentrated on was the set of grass green orbs in the center thay looked at her with fear. Before anyone had a chance to say anything or even blink, Julie had thrown herself at a worried Ben and starting sobbing into his chest.

He instictivley wrapped his arms around her waist in a secure and comforting manner, while whispering soothing and reasurring words into her ear. He had no idea what had happened, he had been woken up by the sound of Julie screaming and crying out for her baby and has imediatley jumped out of bed to find out what was going on. Dashing into the kitchen he found a very concerned Gwen kneeling next to a hysterical Julie who was sobbing and calling out for her baby whilst curled up into a feotal position on the cold tiled floor. Kevin also came rushing down a couple seconds after Ben.

After a good 5 or 10 mintutes Julie's body shaking sob's dulled down into small whimpers and sniffling. Gently running his fingers through her rufflled up raven coloured locks, he started the delicate task of asking her what happened, being careful not say anything that might set her off again.

"Julie baby, whats wrong? What happened?" he asked in a concerned tone and put his palm to her forehead to make sure she didn't have fever, he felt slightly relieved when he couldn't find one but still had no idea what could make Julie suddenly fall to the floor and start screaming like that.

She managed to peel herslef away from Ben's now soaked pyjama top but refused to look him in the eye and instead settled for staring at the floor with burning intesity as she thought about what had just happened. 

"I just started thinking about the future, about what would happen if the media found out and everything. I had a vision they took you away and I never saw you agian" she lied, she really didn't want to tell Ben what really happened in the vision. Because they would probably think she was going crazy or something, Plus she really didn't want to have to descibe it, what she had witnessed in those few moments, she was sure would haunt her for the rest of her life.

But God wasn't being kind to Julie today and the images flooded back into her mind, she could hear them chanting in victory, calling her names, shouting out death threats. Tears pricked at her eyes and she shoved her head into the crook of Ben's neck, and grabbed fistfulls of his shirt as the tears once again leaked from her eyes. She willed the visions to go away, but they kept getting louder and more prominent, to the point were she wanted to scream out loud to make them stop.

They seemed so life like and real, she felt as if she couldn't escape it. No one was there to help her, to defend her and her family. They just left. Leaving her to face the angry mob and eventually death. She tried to think of anything but the nightmare, she tried concentrating of Ben's vivid green orbs that would always shine and radiate happiness and love everytime they would settle on her.

But instead the only sight that greeted her was the sight of her boyfriend's body sprawled out on the side walk, surronded by a pool of his own blood. Those usually vibrant green eyes were now dull and life-less. She cradled his limp body, crying out to on-lookers to help. But no one took notice, they just stared at her. Eye's full of hatred.

They had shot him as they walked down the street, on their way home. They shot him straight through the heart instantley killing him, leaving him no time to say his final goodbyes to his wife or family. They had heartlessly killed a man who on many occasions had risked his life to save the universe from extinction. But it didn't matter to them. As long as the so called 'threat' had been taken care of.

Ben watched helplessly as Julie's body shook with sob's, She was gripping onto his shirt so tightly that he was sure that it was on the verge of ripping. He could hear her mumbling and managed to catch a few word's in between bout's of tears. "Ben... Help... Why?" was all he managed to catch. He was worried and confused by Julie sudden behaviour and looked towards his cousin and her dark haired boyfriend to see if they had any clues as to what was wrong, but they just looked as worried and confused as he was.

Just as the horrible vision started, it stopped. And Julie found herself still wrapped up securley in Ben's arms. She hugged him tighter, glad he was okay. She drunk up his, unusual scent, of smoothie's and after shave, thanking the lord it was over. When she pulled away from were she had thrown herself at him. She looked him straight in the eyes, they were swimming with worry and confusion, but also a slight bit of relief. Julie let the corners of her mouth twitch up into a small smile.

Ben was fine, he was alive and that all that mattered. But she was still a bit shaken from the visions. Maybe she was seeing the future? Maybe it was somebody trying to warn her about what was going to happen? She didn't know, and she probably would never know. So she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and thought about the present. She had a lot of explaining to do about what had happened, but she had to be careful not to reveal how horrible the visions really were.

But right now, there was something she needed to do to calm her fears and worries. Without hesitation she leaned up and captured Ben's soft lips with her own in a fiery kiss. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt their lips move in perfect harmony. But soon the need for air broke them apart and Julie rested her head on Ben's warm chest, feeling the strong, rhythmic beating of his heart.

For now everything was ok, but the question was for how long would it stay that way?

_**A/N kay just to clarify to anyone who was confused but this, Julie started having horrible visions of what the future may look like when the press found out about the pregnancy and her family heritage. **_

_**The next chapter is not quite as gruesome as this one, but still has drama in it. I will try to update as fast as I can, (Hint: Review's make me go a lot faster! Just sayin)**_

_**Okay, down forget that poor lonley little review button down there. Make him happy and loved by clicking on him and telling me what you thought of this chapter. **_

_**Much Lovesies!**_

_**Sammyantha :) x x **_


	9. Worst Possible Outcome

_**A/N: Happy Birthday to meeee! Yes people I turn the grand old age of 17 today (Geez I'm getting old!) Next year I will be able to drink and drive (Not together though coz that would be stupid). I decided to put you guys out of your misery and update! And don't forget to check out the poll on my profile and check out the new chapter 1 that I uploaded. **_

_**Without further a do here is Chapter 9 of Tough Love, Enjoy! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing (But that will change someday, I'm planning on it!)**_

Julie sat at the table with a cup of warm apple tea, staring at the table as her hazel gaze followed the grain of the oak. The explanations to her friends had gone better than she had expected and it seems they believed what she told them. But the guilt of lying to them was weighing heavily on her shoulders. She never wanted to lie but it was for the best, if they found out what she had really seen they would be fussing over her 24/7 and she really didn't want that. Plus Ben would be more worried about her than he was now and with everything else on his plate he could do without the extra stress.

As she sat there her thoughts travelled to the visions, what if they really were what were going to happen in the future? But if so who sent them to her? She knew that Gwen could receive visions from her Grandma Verdona but she was an Anodite, Julie was pure human or so she thought. Maybe she did have an alien blood line, one she didn't know about and so whoever was sending her these visions was tapping into them and trying to warn her.

Ben watched with concerned eyes as Julie sat at the oak table, absentmindedly tracing circles around the rim of her cup. Ever since they had found her screaming on the floor she had been distracted. He could see her brow's knitted together in deep thought and concentration, she had been sat there now for over 10 minutes just staring at the table. A slim hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts,

"You OK?" Gwen asked, she had seen him looking her through the corner of her eye and could see how worried he was getting.

"I suppose, I'm just worried about her y'know. I have never seen her like this and it scares me" he told her, his emerald gaze connected with the mirror image of his cousins. Gwen gave him a small reassuring smile.

"I'm sure she will be fine, I think what happened just startled her a bit. She will be back to the Julie we all know and love in no time" she comforted and Ben's worried face eased up. they turned back to face Julie just in time to see Kevin walk up behind her with a plate of hot breakfast, he placed a hand on her shoulder causing he to jump spilling her tea and let out a scream of fear and surprise. Realising it was just Kevin, she gave him a sheepish smile and put a hand on her chest to try and calm her heart that was hammering in her chest.

"Sorry about that, didn't realise were I was for a second" Julie said, her eyes travelling to the spilt tea that has slowly seeping its way across the table.

Kevin raised a thick onyx eyebrow at Julie before placing the plate down and heading to go get a cloth to wipe up the mess. When he passed Ben and Gwen, his dark gaze locked on to Ben's giving him the meaning '_you need to talk to her'. _ Ben gave him a quick nod to show he understood before walking towards her.

Reaching her, he knelt down by the side of her and put a hand on her knee. It took a couple of seconds for her to realise he was there. She turned and faced him with the distracted look on her face again, causing his worry to double.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked, his emerald eyes searching her face of any sign of pain or discomfort.

"Hmm? Oh yeah I'm fine don't worry about me" she said and gave Ben a small smile. But he wasn't buying it. He could tell by the distant look in her eyes and them way she wouldn't make eye contact that she was far from fine. But he wasn't going to tell her that. He decided to study her and ask Max for some help. Because he knew that if he asked her directly she would clam up and he would never find out. So he was going to bide his time.

"Okay, I trust you" he said and gave her a smile before heading back to were Gwen and Kevin stood, he shook his head at them. Their facial expression immediately turning to worry. None of them had ever seen Julie act this way and it was frightening them. Especially what happened earlier, plus the fact she was pregnant was really scaring the other 3 teens.

"What are we going to do?" Gwen questioned, Ben put his hand to his chin in thought before coming up with an idea.

"Why don't you two go shopping, maybe that will get her to open up? In the meantime Kevin and I will go see Grandpa Max and see if he has any theories as why Julie is acting like this" He said and looked between the two teens who nodded their heads in agreement.

And so the plan went into action. Later that day Gwen and Julie went out shopping after much deliberation with Julie who was determined not to go, which only worried them more because Julie never backed down on a chance to go to the mall. With much effort they managed to get her to agree to go.

Since Julie had been covered by the keen eye of Gwen encase she flipped out again, Kevin and Ben headed out to Grandpa Max's trailer. As they pulled up to the battered old RV Ben's stomach churned with worry. What if Julie had been affected by an alien virus? Or maybe she was reacting badly to his mixture of DNA and could possibly die? Julie, dying. Those two words together sent Ben's mind into overdrive and he started to hyperventilate.

She couldn't die, He wouldn't let her. He tried so hard to keep her safe from all villains and criminals he faced and wanted to get back him, and wasn't going to let her go without a fight. A life without Julie by his side wasn't worth living.

"Ben! Ben!" Kevin called out to the younger teen, He had suddenly started hyperventilating and the Osmosian teen was worried that what ever had been affecting Julie was affecting him too.

"Huh what?" Ben mumbled confused as Kevin started to shake him to calm him down

"Dude, you were hyperventilating. You okay?" The dark haired teen asked onyx eyes slightly clouded over with worry. Kevin wouldn't like to admit it but he worried about Ben, He saw the teen as a younger brother albeit sometimes an annoying younger brother, but a brother all the same. Plus Gwen would go mental if she found out that Ben had suddenly got ill in Kevin's presence.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just panicked for a bit, What if we can't find out what's wrong with her?" Ben asked, his worried emerald gaze meeting with Kevin dark onyx ones. The Osmosian ran his calloused hand through his long ebony locks and let out a sigh while averting his gaze outside the windshield.

"I'm sure we'll find out, it's not like she has alien powers that is causing it, so it might just be something medical we can cure" He said reassuringly, even though in his brain he was thinking something completely different. He had never seen anything like what had happened to Julie before, Even in the Null Void he had never heard of anybody being fine one minute and flipping out the next without the use of alien drugs. And Julie had never been near any type of human drug let alone ones of alien origin. He was completely stumped.

"Yeah, I guess your right" the brown haired teen said half heartily and gave him a half smile before getting out the car and heading towards the Rust bucket mark 2. Kevin shook his head a followed the other teen out the car swell.

As Kevin walked up to the beat up motor home he saw Ben knock on the old crooked door that looked like it needed a tweak, hell the whole thing looked like it needed a major tweak. He had lost count the amount of times he had been called up an asked if he could repair it, this thing was probably older than he and Ben combined

After a couple of seconds of silence, the door opened with a loud creek as the rusted hinges moved. Grandpa Max stood in the door clad in his classic red Hawaiian shirt with a beaming smile on his face.

"Hey boy's" he greeted smile never fading from his slightly wrinkled face, for a 68 year old Max looked in pretty good shape.

"Hey Grandpa" Ben greeted, a fake smile placed on his face, so as not to alert the old man that anything was wrong.

"Hi Sir" Kevin hesitantly greeted, after telling Max that Gwen was pregnant, the dark haired teen was wary of the retired Plumber, seeing as he could send him back to the Null Void with a blink of an eye if he even put a toe out of place. But the old Plumber just smiled at him and led the two inside.

Once inside the two teens settled at the table off to the left whilst Max took the drivers seat and twisted it round so he was facing them. To Kevin, Max reminded him of those villains you see in them crappy action movies that would spin around in the chair when the hero's arrived telling them he had been expecting them except without the cat and the awful English accent, that to the Osmosian teen always sounded like nails on a chalk board to his ears. Even Ben's singing was better than having to sit through one of those rubbish movies.

"What's up?" The retired Plumber asked, His caring grey eyes zoning in on the two boys who shifted uncomfortably in their seats. He had been able to tell something was up with the two as soon as he saw the fake smile that Ben had given his when he opened the door.

"Grandpa, it's about Julie" Ben started as he thought back to had what happened earlier that day. "This morning she suddenly collapsed and started screaming and crying, nothing we did could get her to stop. Luckily after a couple of minutes she calmed down, but ever since it happened she isn't the same and we have no idea what's going on with her. We thought maybe you could help" Ben explained.

Max brought his hand up to his chin in thought, he had never heard of this happening to a human before, but maybe it was something psychological. After all Julie had seen things that no other 18 year old girl could even comprehend. Maybe after al this time it was finally having an effect on her.

"Have you tried asking her what happened?" He asked his grandson whose face was weighed down with guilt and worry.

"Yeah, she said she had these visions of what might happen in the future if the media came out" He remembered, He suddenly perked up looked at Grandpa Max, who also looked at him.

"You don't think someone could be sending her these messages do you Grandpa, I mean I know Gwen can receive visions from Grandma Verdona but they are both Anodites and Julie's pure human" He asked, a thoughtful expression came to Max's face as he thought this possible theory.

"I don't know Ben, It might be possible that Julie is part alien and we just don't know. Or that aliens can send visions to human minds. Tell you what I will contact Verdona and see if she can shed some light on the situation. But for now keep an eye on her; all the stress can't be good for her or the baby. Those two as well as Gwen are our main priority now" He told him and looked in Kevin's direction, he had been quiet all the time they had been talking, and he would have normally put his to cents in by now. He seemed deep in thought and was mumbling himself about something.

"Kevin, what do you think?" Max asked the distracted boy. The mentioned teens head turned to the plumber and stared into his eyes.

"Do you think it could be an alien like ghost freak doing this?" Kevin questioned. While Max and Ben had been talking he had been running through all the species of alien he knew that could manipulate people's minds and control them. His first thought had been an Anodite but then Gwen would have been able to sense it energy signature off Julie. His second thought was an Ectonurite, they had a nasty habit of infected people's mind and making them sees horrible things that weren't there and bring up fears and horrible memories. Plus they had no energy signature so neither Gwen or Grandma Vedona if she had been there wouldn't have been able sense it was here.

"It might be, they do have the power to take over the host's body without them knowing and then access their memories and fears, if this is the case and she has been taken over by an Ectonurite we need to get it out of her fast. Every moment its in her body It could be harming her and the baby" He said seriously, Ben's eyes widened in panic and pictures of Julie injured or worse dead flashed in his mind causing him to hyperventilate again, but before Kevin and Max had a chance to do anything he passed out and slump to the floor unconscious.

At the mall things also were not going smoothly, Julie was still as distracted as ever and every time Gwen would bring up what happened that morning she would cringe and change subject. So Gwen gave up asking, it was obviously a tender subject for the raven haired girl and she didn't want to stress Julie out anymore than he already had been.

Julie sighed as she looked through another rack of tops. She didn't even know why they were going shopping, with both of them being pregnant in a couple of months maybe even weeks they wouldn't be able to fit in any to their clothes apart from sweat pants or dresses. But she supposed that she had to play along to make sure that the others wouldn't be so worried about her.

Reaching the end of the rack she let her hands fall to her sides and went to go find Gwen, Maybe now they could go home. Not that Julie didn't enjoy shopping with Gwen, but with everything that had happened today she was tired and just wanted to go home and nap. Spying her redheaded best friend over by the table of jeans Julie quickly made her way over. But not even half way to the table Julie's head flared up with unbearable pain, she clutched her head in her hands and screwed her eyes shut as the pain continued to assault her senses.

But the pain was too much and she crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain. She wished the pain would go away or that she would slip into unconsciousness' so she would have to deal with anymore but no such luck for the poor unfortunate girl. Instead pictures flashed in her mind, the first was her tied spread eagle to a bed, and strange men surrounded her. One, who looked to be around her age and had bright blond hair and sapphire blue eyes that sparkled with bloodlust and glee, in his left hand he held a large penknife. He moved towards her, lips twisted up into a cruel and sadistic smile.

"Now, I will get my revenge on Tennyson for ruining my life by killing his precious girlfriend and unborn child and then watching him suffer" he said in a dangerously low voice that sent shivers up and down Julie's spine. She thrashed about trying to get her self free and screamed at the top of her lungs through the gag she had been forced to wear, but was no use she was trapped.

With great joy the boy sliced into her swollen abdomen, causing Julie to scream out in pain and horror as he tore her would be son from her womb. He looked down at the foetus with disgust, before stabbing to straight in the heart killing him. Julie sobbed in pain and grief, she could feel her self losing a lot of blood from were he had sliced her open. But the sadistic and murderous teen wasn't finished yet; he had killed off Ben's spawn and started on the task of killing his girlfriend.

He came up to her head and looked at her straight in the eyes, Julie could see the joy of revenge and murder dance around the boys sapphire eyes and wanted nothing more than to gouge them out with her fingernails.

"Now, now darling" He soothed mockingly, Julie glared at him with all her might but he just chuckled at her "Don't worry lovely Julie, your death will be quick and painless, and I will tell Ben that you loved him and all that jazz" he told her and proceeded to slit her throat in one clean movement. Julie felt her self slipping away as the blood flowed from her arteries and pooled around her. She just wished she could have told her loved ones goodbye before she was taken away, but it was too late. Darkness washed over her as the last of her if slipped away.

Julie sat upright and screamed loudly, salty tears streaked down her face. Her body was shaking violently as parts of her horrible vision clung to her memory, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and immediately panicked and began struggling to get free.

"Let go of me!" She screamed, desperate to get free and the pictured flooded her memory of being tied down.

"Julie, Julie! Calm down! It's me Gwen! I'm not going to hurt you, you need to calm down!" Gwen cried as she held onto her crazed friend. Julie calmed down and looked at her, tears streaming down her sweaty face.

"Gwen? What happened? Where am I?" she asked still slightly panicked. Gwen swept some strands of her raven coloured hair from her sweaty forehead and looked her straight in the eyes, her emerald orbs burning into her own hazel ones

"Julie, you collapsed in the middle of the shop and started screaming and crying, you were shaking and thrashing around, you're at home. I managed to teleport us here before anyone called the paramedics" Gwen told the shaking girl. Julie looked around to find that Gwen was right and they were both in the apartment living room.

Julie sighed and ran a hair through her tangled ebony locks. It had happened again. It was starting to worry her now, what if these vision attacks kept on happening and ended up harming the baby? She would never be able to forgive herself and neither would Ben.

"Julie" Gwen started; the dark haired girl could see the worry written over her best friends face "What's going on? Why are you...?" Before Gwen could finish her question the front door flew open with a loud bang and in walked Kevin holding an unconscious Ben in his broad, muscular arms.

"Kevin! What happened to Ben? Is he okay" Gwen almost shouted to her boyfriend who none too gently dropped the brown haired teen onto the sofa

"He's fine he just passed out that's all, Gwen can I talk to you alone for a second?" he asked, Gwen could see he mint business and nodded her head before following him into the kitchen. Julie however blew an inward sigh of relief that she was saved from spilling out the truth and quickly rushed to Ben's side.

Gwen sat down at the table and Kevin sat opposite, both had worried expressions on their faces and had an inkling they were going to be talking about the same thing.

"Julie collapsed again at the mall, it was worst than the first time. It took her twenty minutes to calm her down" the redhead told her dark haired boyfriend who frowned at the news.

"So they are getting worse?" Gwen nodded her head and Kevin sighed and ran a calloused hand through his long ebony locks. "Means we have less time than we thought" he mumbled to himself before looking Gwen straight in the eyes

"We found out what's wrong with her, we think she might be infected with an Ectonurite. And if you say she had another attack and there getting worse means that the more time we wait to get it out of her the less chance she, and the baby have of surviving it" He told her grimly. The teen Anodite gasped and her hands flew up to her open mouth. She stared at him with wide eyes as she processed the information. This couldn't be happening; Julie dying was not an option. If both she and the baby died Gwen feared that it would tip her cousin over the edge and go insane, and with his god like powers he could reek havoc on earth and other plants and they would have to put him down. Causing them two have lost 2 teammates in the space of days.

"This can't be happening" she whispered, not wanting to believe it was true. But the look on her boyfriends face told her he wasn't lying. When things seemed to be looking up for the couple it all came crashing down. Hard and fast.

A loud scream and a crash brought them out of their grim haze and they rushed into the living room were it came from. What they saw shocked them to their very core...

_**A/N: Whoop! Another chapter done! Sorry I ended on a cliff-hanger but this chappie was getting rather long and helps lead on the rest of the story. So do you think they will get it out in time or will Julie perish?**_

_**Tell me what you think in your reviews! Love you lots my loyal readers!**_

_**Sammyantha x **_


	10. Will Things Ever Be The Same?

_**A/N: Okay here we go another wonderful chapter of Tough Love. I would like to give a big huge shout out to The Cretin, who has left me some lovely reviews and to Kapaychan a.k.a Eternal Night Ride who has been a great inspiration to me and was kind enough to let me use one of her designs for the upcoming chapter.**_

_**And I know this is a bit late an all and somebody had probably already pointed this out before but, HA to Gwevin! the first ever moment of romance and or coupling was a BENLIE moment! When Julie said hello to Ben and you could so tell he liked her! So nuuhhh! As Ben would say. **_

_**Oh and on the 27th**__** of August I get to go on the new Ben 10: Ultimate Mission ride at Drayton Manor! Cant wait! Yes America, you may get Comic Con, The new episodes faster, and other stuff but we have a RIDE! In your face! Haha!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10, shocking I know! But unfortunately Man of Action trumped me out on this one. They really are not that keen on letting a 17 year old have the rights to it, I don't know why. **_

Gwen and Kevin stood in shock, After they had heard the crash they rushed into the living room to find Julie pinned halfway up the wall hands and feet spread apart, she was screaming and crying, and was surrounded by a dark purple almost black light. Ben was trying to get to her but it was like some sort of supernatural force keeping him at bay, He was shouting at her trying to get her attention so he could help her. The whole scene looked like something from the exorcist movie.

"Kevin!" Ben shouted to his best friend "Call Grandpa Max, We need to get this out of her now or we might lose her!" Kevin nodded his head and rushed to the phone. Gwen watched her cousin try and get to Julie; She could see the fear in his emerald orbs, Not only was Julie's life on the line but also the life of their unborn child. Gwen rushed forward in attempt to get to Julie and help save her, but it was futile. She was just knocked back like Ben had been.

Kevin came sprinting in a second later, panic written over his pale features "Max is on his way, he says we have to try and get through to her before the Ectonurite completely takes over" he shouted to the other two teens over the sound of Julie's ear piercing screams.

They nodded their heads and Ben slowly walked towards Julie, The redhead looked back at her boyfriend worry written over her flawless face. They both knew they were thinking the same thing, What if it didn't work and Max didn't show up on time?

"Julie" Ben called out, voice shaky and flooded with concern as he inched his was towards her body "Julie, listen to me, you have to fight it. You have to break free from it. We need you Jules, I need you. Most importantly our baby needs you please" Ben begged as tears streamed down his face, he couldn't stand to see her like this. It was tearing him up inside that he couldn't save her like he usually did.

The glow faded slightly and Ben was able to move closer to her, it was working. If she could just keep fighting she would be okay. Suddenly Max burst in, silver briefcase in hand. Taking one look at Julie his face twisted into deep concern.

"Ben, keep talking to her. We have to get this out, I don't think we have much time left" he shouted to his grandson and proceed to open the briefcase and take out a sun gun and a large syringe, that contained a green solution.

"Julie, We love you, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without you my life would be empty, Please Jules I cant loose you. Come back to me Jules" Ben continued and the glow faded again, Max walked forward and soon was close enough to stick the syringe into her arm. The glow intensified again, until it was blinding. Julie's loud blood curdling pain filled screams filled the room and the alien detached itself from her body.

Soon the glow faded enough for the group to see Julie's lifeless body slump to the floor in a crumpled heap of limbs and floating above it was an exact look-a-like of Ben's alien Ghostfreak. His eerie purple eye scanned the room before settling on the retired plumber, it let out a hiss of anger before charging forward. But a quick as lightning Max pulled out the Sun-Gun and blasted him, it let out a cry of pain and anger as it disintegrated into a puff of smoke.

Ben rushed over to his girlfriend's fallen body and checked to see if she was still alive and breathing, delicately feeling her neck he found a weak pulse and noticed her breathing was ragged and slow. He cradled her in his arms and lifted her from the floor, green eyes swarming with tears that he blinked away, his face turning to a stoney expressionless mask.

Gwen and Kevin could do no more than stand in disbelief at what happened, Grandpa Max walked swiftly walked over to Ben concern lining his aged face. "She's okay, alive but I think we need to take her to Plumbers headquarters and check on both her and the baby" Ben spoke grimly, his face never changing from the stoic expression he had adopted. Max nodded his approval before turning his blue gaze to were the other two teens stood, Gwen could see the worry for Ben swarming in them. Everyone had expected him to be angry or to cry or do anything, but he was just quiet and expressionless, which could mean he was going to take it out on something or someone later.

They silently followed the expressionless Ultimatrix bearer to the Rustbucket were they all piled in and Max set off on the road towards the concealed Plumber base under the garage. Ben was sat with an unconscious Julie on the bunk beds at the back, whilst Kevin and Gwen took the seats at the table by the front, the Osmosian teen had a reassuring and comforting arm wrapped around the redheads shoulders as she stared unblinkingly at the tennis players unmoving body.

The trip was silent, nobody wanting to say anything to upset Ben and cause him to fly off the handle like he did when Vilgax got the Omnitrix and he ran off into the rain. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the Rustbuckets engine roaring, but noting the tense silence the retired Plumber decided to break it with some good news

"Myaxx, Azmuth and Verdona are at the base waiting for us to arrive, they will take care of Julie and make sure she is okay" he told the group of teens hoping to ease some of the concern. But Anodite teen didn't hear, she was too busy searching her cousin's blank face for any sign of anger or just any emotion. It was scaring her that he was so reserved and quiet, she feared that the last of his sanity had snapped and he would never be the same again.

Ben stared at his girlfriend's lifeless body, no emotions swarming through him, he was too numb to be able to feel anything. He had failed her again. But this time not only had he failed her, he had also failed their unborn child. He wasn't fit to call himself that Childs father, he would just end up putting him and his mother in danger.

Julie broke out in a cold sweat and her body began to shiver violently, Ben quickly stood over her, checking her pulse and her breathing. Her pulse was fading and her breathing becoming shallower. Her body started to convulse as her eyes twitched under her closed eyelids.

"Grandpa!" Ben shouted in urgency "We need to get to the base NOW! I think she is going into shock!" he was struggling to hold down her flailing body even after Kevin and Gwen had rushed over and was helping hold her down.

"On it!" Grandpa Max called "Hold on kids, I'm activating the boosters" he said and soon the Rustbucket lurched forward in a burst of incredible speed, causing the teens to slam into the back wall of the RV with painful thump.

Luckily the roads were quite empty making the trip to the base even quicker, within 30 seconds they were pulling up to the base, but those 30 seconds had felt like 30 minutes to the alien morphing teen who concern for his girlfriend and unborn child had reached maximum and he was afraid that they were to late and he was going to lose her.

They rushed her into the base and into the sick bay, Azmuth, Myaxx and Verdona immediately met them. As soon as they placed her down on a bed they were ushered out the room by Verdona. Out in the waiting room Ben immediately started pacing up and down and tugging at his hair.

"If he keeps that up he will make a rut in the floor and be bald!" Kevin whispered to Gwen who numbly nodded her head in response, she was extremely worried about Julie and Ben. If Julie died she feared it would tip her cousin over the edge. She feared that if he did fall, they wouldn't be able to save him and end up having to put him out of his misery.

That thought brought back bitter memories for the red-haired teen, suddenly she realised how Ben must have felt when Kevin had gone insane. Maybe he felt like that, because Kevin had been through so much, that this time it would be too much for him to recover from, and maybe it would have been better to put him down before he did something he really regretted, if he ever did return to his human form. She realised that Ben had not only been thinking about saving the universe, but about saving Kevin as well. Saving him from himself, saving him from doing something that would ultimately destroy him, e.g. killing her for her manna.

All that time she had thought he had been going for the easier option, the option that would put an end to the problem of Kevin ever going insane again. But really he had been doing it to save her, because if she failed at curing Kevin, she would have been heartbroken as well as in danger. With Kevin gone she would be able to move on, forget about him without the worry of being hurt by him or seeing him and opening healing wounds.

Hours ticked by, the tension in the waiting room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Kevin and Gwen were sat together holding each other's hand in comfort and reassurance. Grandpa Max was talking on the plumber network trying to pin point were the Ectonurite escaped from, and Ben who had stopped pacing, sat numbly staring at the door waiting for any sign that she was okay. Inside he was beating himself up, he blamed himself for the fact Julie had been infected in the first place. He had been lax on security and protection, thinking that no one would dare try and touch his family.

_How could I have been so naive!_ He swore at himself, _Of course enemies are going to target them! I'm so stupid! Now thanks to me Julie and my baby are fighting for their lives!_ He grabbed fistful of hair in his hands. He had made many mistakes in his life, Almost killing his best friend, Being an egotistical jerk and pushing people away, hacking the Omnitrix and turned Kevin into a mutant which almost caused him and Gwen to break up and then break up the team. But this topped them all, he was a disgrace, not fit to be called a hero. Because in his mind he certainly didn't act like one, he was immature and quick to jump head first into things. If it wasn't for Gwen telling him to slow down and think, he was pretty sure he would be dead right now.

"Tennyson" Azmuth called out making him shoot out his chair and rush to the little alien, Emerald orbs filled with fear. The little alien sighed before beginning his speech.

"She and the baby are fine" he confirmed. Ben felt like jumping for joy, they were okay! Everything was going to be fine "But.." Their it was, the but. The world that made Ben's heart stop, the word that meant something was wrong, that everything wouldn't be fine.

"She is in a coma, the Ectonurite took a lot out of the body almost killing her and the child. But they were fighters. We are monitoring both their vitals and making sure the child gets enough nutrition. But it is unknown if she will wake up, it may take days months or even years, or maybe not at all. We have done the best we can" the alien spoke before motioning down the hall to were Julie was. "you may see her now"

Before anyone could blink an eye, Ben was speeding down the hallway and skidded into her room. He saw her lying there, so peaceful, like nothing had gone wrong and she would wake up and tell him how stupid he was for worrying about her. But the different needles and drips hanging out her arms shattered that dream.

He slumped into the chair beside her bed, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. His took her slim warm hand in his larger one and looked deeply at her peaceful face

"I'm so so sorry Julie, I never wanted this to happen. I'm just a screw up, I end up hurting everybody around me even when I'm trying to help him or her. I Just hope that you wake up and I can make it up to you and our baby" he spoke solemnly, his eyes never leaving her unmoving body.

Just then Gwen and Kevin quietly entered the room, The red-haired girl immediately saw the slumped figure of her cousin and felt her heart constrict in sympathy, He blamed himself for everything that happened even though he couldn't haven't done anything to stop or prevent it. She was sure that after this her cousin wouldn't be the same again, She feared he would turn into the Ben they saw from the future. Throwing himself into his work, hardly talking to his family and bottling up all his grief and anger until he finally popped. That would tear the whole team and family apart, and Gwen wanted her child to be able to hang out with their Uncle Ben.

"Ben?" she questioned tentatively, encase he had really snapped and this was just the calm before the storm.

"Ben isn't here anymore" he replied monotonously and turned to face them, his face set like stone, not a flicker of emotion.

"What you talking about Tennyson?" Kevin questioned, his thoughts of Ben's sanity being fine immediately collapsed.

"The Ben you talk about is not here anymore, I am just an empty shell. Your Ben is lying on that bed unconscious" He told them, he face never changing from the stoney mask he had set.

But Gwen knew better, although his face held no emotion his eyes showed her everything. She saw the grief and pain, the self-doubt and blame and the anger all-swirling inside his clover green eyes. The red-haired girl knew from that moment on until Julie woke up that the teen in front of them was no longer her goofy and annoying cousin she loved, but an empty shell of a man whose whole world was lying unconscious with his unborn child growing inside her.

"Ben, you-" Gwen started but was cut off when they heard hysterical screaming coming down the hall, she guessed that Julie's parents had arrived. And soon enough her suspicions were proved correct when her mother came barrelling into the room, as soon as she saw Julies unconscious body she rushed over and stroked her face while chocking back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes

"My baby, my poor poor baby" she whispered before spinning round on her heel and her eyes falling on the slumped form of Ben, Gwen could practically feel the anger and pain flooding off the woman

"You!" she hissed pointing a shaking finger at him. To Ben this felt too much like what had happened at dinner when they had told them Julie was pregnant

"You did this, you did this to my poor baby!" Julie's mother sobbed "You monster! If she hadn't have met you and your friends she would be living a normal, safe life! You ruined her life the moment you met her!" she howled in anger at Ben who just stared at the floor. Both Gwen and Kevin were shocked and also angry at what Julie's mother had just said to the mute Ultimatrix wielder.

"Mrs Yamamoto, Ben has done nothing wrong. He saved her, and even if she hadn't met us she will still be in danger. With all the aliens running round your daughter would have been in even more danger" Gwen spoke calmly, even though on the inside she wanted to tear into her about how Ben is a hero and would risk his own life to save Julie. But she knew that in this situation it would only cause more problems.

"How do you defend that _filth" _The older woman spat, her brown eyes burning with untamed rage and disgust "That boy causes more trouble than he is worth! It would make everyone's life easier and safer if he just up sticks and leave. That boy is no 'hero' he just a freak with a watch who gallivants around beating people up for fun! That's not a hero, that's just a monster disgusting himself as a hero!" She ranted, voice rising to shouting by the end of it.

Kevin, who had sat idly by in this, felt his anger rise to optimal levels. How dare she accuse Ben of stuff like that? That boy alone had done so much for the world and the universe and didn't deserve to be dissed like that. He and Gwen alone had helped him turn around his life and become a honorary Plumber, just like his father. But before he could give his two cents worth, the fiery redhead stepped in. Her emerald eyes burning pits of fury

"How DARE you say that about my cousin!" she spat back at the woman, who was shocked at the teens hostility "He has seen and done things to save this planet you could have never of even dreamed of!" she said viciously her eyes boring into the other woman's "And as for your daughter, Mrs Yamamoto, She chose this life. Ben didn't force her, in fact many-a-time he told her that she should leave and live a normal life. But she refused, because she loves him and he loves her more than the world and the universe combined. So maybe you should shut your trap before I shut it for you!" She threatened, her eyes flickering back and forth from emerald to magenta. Mrs Yamamoto reeled back in horror at the threat, eyes wide with fear. But it soon turned back to anger

"Freaks! All of you! You are abominations! You should be locked up and never allowed out! People like you don't deserve to see the light of day, your just monsters, monsters in human form!" she shrieked. Gwen had had enough. This woman had gone to far! Eyes pulsating a deep magenta she walked towards the enraged woman

"You listen here woman, I-" But she was cut off by a weak voice that came from the seat beside the unconscious girls bed

"Just leave it Gwen, She's right." the redhead's eyes went back to normal and widened at her cousins words

"But Ben, she... us.. and" the girl stuttered, unable to come up with a proper sentence to describe it. Julies mother just smirked in satisfaction of being proved right, and Gwen wanted nothing more than to smack that smug look off the woman's face. But before she could, she left. Leaving the three teens in an awkward silence.

"What the hell was that Tennyson?" Kevin almost shouted at the younger teen that was still staring at the floor, unable to look his team-mates in the eyes.

"What she said was right, Julie's life was ruined since the moment she said hello. If it wasn't for me and this stupid watch she could have lived a normal life, have a normal boyfriend and a normal relationship. No a life were she hardly ever sees me, has to constantly look over her shoulder encase of the paparazzi or an alien threat and our relationship is constantly under scrutiny and strain" he said numbly.

He had always pushed these thought to the back of his mind because it was too painful to think about. But now with everything going on and what her mother had said it all made sense. With him she was ruined, pinned to a life of danger and scrutiny and that was no life for such a smart and wonderful girl like Julie. A lone tear slipped out of his right eye, he didn't bother to try and hide it. He was too tired of hiding, hiding his life, his emotions, it was all too much.

Gwen immediately noticed her cousins tear and without hesitation went over to him an pulled him into a hug. At that moment Ben broke down, the emotional wall he had built up over the years to protect himself crumbled into dust. Everything he had worked so hard to get, so hard to keep safe and to felt loved had been shattered into pieces. Pieces he was desperately trying to pick up and put back together again.

A/N: Okay, its all happening now! Will Julie wake up? Will Ben ever be the same? Will I ever stop talking like this? I dunno, but review and tell me what you think!

P.S updates may be a little slow seeing as I work everyday for like 12 hours and have little time to write. But I will try my best, hopefully and new chapter 2 will be up as well as another chapter like this.

Sammyantha x x


	11. Fading Hope

_**A/N: Another chapter for you wonderful readers **__**:)**__** Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on the Ben 10: Ultimate Mission ride, my friend cancelled last minute because of the weather. So I was extremely bummed. **_

_**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on this story! And a special shout out to whoever The Cretin is. If I ever find out who you are, (I am determined to!) I must give you a huuuugge thanks! Because your wonderful reviews really did make my day! **_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own anything, but I'm pretty sure you know that by now, seeing as I have had to write it on EVERY chapter! **_

Ben desperately clung to his cousin's jumper as he sobbed into her tear soaked shoulder. It was all too much for the Ultimatrix bearer to cope with, His pride and joy was lying unconscious on a hospital bed with their unborn child and it was his entire fault. Gwen soothingly rubbed circles on his back, trying to calm him down enough so she could talk to him. Her emerald gaze met her boyfriend's deep onyx one, he looked at her with sympathy.

He felt so sorry for her cousin, Ben had been trying so hard to make things between him and Julie work. He even stopped watching Sumo-Slammers marathons so he could spend time with her; He had already been at wits end with all the missions they had been dumped with as well as the paparazzi. Now all that effort and sacrifice would be all for nothing if Julie never woke up.

"I-i-it's my entire fault!" he sobbed as he pulled away from his cousins embrace, the heavy guilt of everything was crushing him inside and out. "I'm just a monster, I end up ruining everything! Now thanks to me Julie may never wake up, I'm no hero. Julie's mother is right, everyone would be better off I was never even born!" he said angrily. Gwen was shocked at her cousin's words. She knew he sometimes had bouts of self-doubt and blame but it had never been so bad to the point he wished he was never born.

"That's not true Ben. If it wasn't for you I would still be a street rat in New York, I would never have the wonderful life I have now. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't even be here! The Highbreed would have wiped us out, or if not them we would be enslaved by Vilgax" Kevin defended, he hated seeing a boy that was usually so upbeat and confident now so down and broken. It was like he wasn't the same person anymore.

"If it wasn't for _Gwen_, you would still be a street rat. If it wasn't for _Gwen _you would be dead right now because of me. If it wasn't for both you and Gwen I would have never been able to even begin trying to defeat the Highbreed. I turned you into a monster 3 times Kevin! 3 times! I almost ruined your relationship and everything else! Face it! Gwen saved you not me. She should have the Omnitrix, I'm just useless!" He shouted, clover green eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Ben, you're not useless! Stop talking like that! You have done so much good with that watch and just being yourself. You're an awesome cousin who knows how to make me laugh and roll my eyes at the same time. When we first went on that road trip together I would have done anything to get out of it, but now I'm glad I went. Because out of that trip I managed to meet the two boys that make my life complete" she said softy to him, staring him straight in the eyes. But he averted his gaze the floor, he couldn't stand to look her in the eyes knowing he had almost ruined her life.

"Gwen, I almost ruined your life, I almost killed my best friend who is practically my older brother. I am supposed to protect people, not kill people, especially not family. So many times I have screwed up, now it's coming to bite me back in the butt. I caused all this myself. Now Julie is suffering and it's all because of me" he spoke sadly, the salty tears once again streaking down his face.

The 19 year-old Osmosian teen was speechless. He knew he and Ben were close enough to be best-friends, maybe even brothers, but he never thought the younger male classed him as family. He couldn't believe that when he was younger he had wanted to kill the boy, now he was practically family. He felt a sense of pride that he had managed to turn himself around enough to be trusted and treated like family by the people he used to class as his worse enemies.

"Ben, please" his red-headed cousin begged. She didn't want to lose him too, he was her best-friend and cousin all wrapped in one. She wanted him there to tell her things were going to be okay when Kevin wasn't there, she wanted to be able to be with him on the holidays, as they watched the kids open their presents with smiles on their faces. But as she looked at his pained expression she had a sinking feeling that things were never going to be that way.

"Come on Gwen, Lets go. He just needs some time alone" the dark haired teen told her and put a warm hand on her shoulder and guided her away from the depressed Tennyson boy. As she looked back at the slumped over form of her cousin, a part of her hoped, maybe even begged that things would turn out okay for her him and her best friend. Because really they were the only family apart from Grandma Verdona and Grandpa Max she had left. And if she lost them both, she feared that it would tear everyone apart. She couldn't help the lone tear that slipped from her eye as she left the room, to her it felt like the whole world she once knew was cracking underneath her, and she could do nothing to stop it.

As soon as he knew the other two had left, Ben took Julie's hand in his own and lifted it up and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. He tried to stop the tears from streaming down his face again but it was no use, they fell thick and fast, dripping on the back of her hand. His pain-filled sobs echoed around the empty, cold room. He was no longer the strong, independent hero, now he was like a broken toy, waiting for his owner to wake up and fix him again, but the only thing was, his owner may never wake up, and he may never be the same again.

And that's how he stayed, a broken man. Holding on to his life, day in day out, never leaving. Every day he would sit the same place, hardly eating and almost never sleeping. The only time he ever left her side was when he had to go to the bathroom, and when Gwen, Kevin and Grandpa Max had ganged up on his and shot with a tranquiliser gun and dragged him home. As soon as he woken up though he went straight back to her bedside, holding her hand and whispering all the ways he would make it up to her and how sorry he was for ever letting this happen.

* * *

Gwen's worry for her cousin's physical as well as mental wellbeing steadily increased as he continued to sit there. But soon she was forced to push it to the back of the mind as she was thrown back into school by her parents. Thats were when it started. It was okay for the first couple of weeks when people couldn't see that she was pregnant, but as the weeks drew on and her stomach increased in size, people started talking. At first it was just that she had let herself go because she was worrying about her cousin, but then they caught on to the fact she was pregnant and would berate her for it in the school hallways.

Today was no exception. As she quickly walked down the hall, she hang her head low as not to attract attention to herself and start the name calling but her classmates had other ideas.

"Hey Gwenny" a sickly sweet voice called out to her, Gwen felt an uneasy feeling well up inside in her chest that voice never meant anything good for the poor Tennyson girl. Turning round she faced her tormenters.

Tasha stood there, a proud smirk on her make-up covered face. To Gwen, it looked like she had been ganged banged by packet of Crayola crayons. She flipped her perfectly straightened raven coloured hair over her shoulder, blue eyes twinkling with satisfaction.

"Just wondered how you and your boyfriend are handling the fact you are going to be parents" she said condescendingly "Because it came a shock to us all when we found out that goody too shoes Gwen Tennyson had actually got a boyfriend and then got pregnant" Gwen's felt her anger rising at the taunting, she knew she should have risen above it and brushed it off but she was fed up of being pushed around, but the girl carried on oblivious to the Anodises rising anger

"Of course, you are dating Kevin Levin. A no good, ex-con freak, who is probably going to leave you once the baby is born. It will probably turn out a freak like its father" the other girl sneered, hatred oozing from her sickly sweet voice. "And I also heard your cousin got his girlfriend preggers, hmm, guess it runs in the family, at least your kid will have another little freak to play with" she spat,

By this time Gwen had had enough. That sentence was the last straw and she snapped. She looked at her enemy straight in the eyes; the untamed wild anger that was swirling in her flickering orbs was enough to make even Vilgax run screaming like a little girl from the enraged red-head. She stepped forward so she was only inches away from the other girl, he voice was as hard as nails, the voice she only used when dealing with the worst of the worst alien scum.

"You listen to me here, bitch!" Gwen viciously spat through gritted teeth, her eyes, constantly flickering from their emerald colour to her Anodtie magenta, causing the other girl to shake in fear. All the anger she had been bottling up since the accident was being unleashed. Her Anodtie voice began to bleed into her human voice, scaring the poor girl even more. "Kevin is a good man; he has done so much to save you and your pathetic race from extinction. He is not a freak, he maybe an ex-con but that is his past, he has changed into an all-round good person. So don't you DARE say otherwise! And as for my cousin what he does is his business, and none of yours. So BACK-OFF, before I hurt you so bad that not even the best cosmetic surgeon in the world will be able to fix you!" she threatened, Tasha stood there frozen unable to move or speak through fear.

"Glad we had this little talk" Gwen said sweetly with a smirk on her face before turning round and heading off to class, leaving a frightened Tasha standing motionless in the hallway.

* * *

As she walked down the hallway to her locker, Gwen couldn't help the smile that was on her face. After the little incident with Tasha earlier that morning, the day had gone quite smoothly. Everybody left her alone and she was able to get through the day without even a whisper of anyone saying anything about her. Grabbing her books from her locker she made a beeline for the student's car park where she knew Kevin would be waiting for her. Walking out the front door, he assumptions were confirmed. There he was, sexily leaning up against his green and black striped Dodge Challenger, an arrogant smirk on his face as the other students pointed and whispered at him.

But his face immediately brightened when he spotted Gwen walking out the front door towards him. He couldn't help the butterfly's that fluttered in his stomach as he watched he walk towards him, a smile on her face. Ever since what happened with Ben and Julie she had hardly ever smiled, instead her face was always contorted in worry and thought.

"Hey beautiful" he greeted to her as she reached him

"Hey" she replied back, leaning up she placed a quick kiss on his lips

"What? No 'Hey my tousled Adonis that I get the great pleasure of calling my boyfriend? Or 'Hey my gorgeously good looking man who would make Greek gods jealous?" He pouted, mock hurt showing in his pale features. Gwen just giggled and kissed his cheek before moving to the passenger side.

"Nope" she cheekily replied and slipped into the passenger seat. Kevin just chuckled under his breath at his girlfriend and followed suit and slipped into the driver's seat.

But as soon as the car started and they headed off to their destination, the free spirits and laughter they had at school immediately vanished and was instead filled with a tense silence. Even though Gwen hadn't told the dark haired teen were to take her, he already knew. They went there everyday, without fail. It had become a sort of routine over the past 2 months, Pick Gwen up from school, go to the base, check up on the mute brunette and go home. He dare not question it or try and stop it; he could tell Gwen's faith in Julie's and her cousin's recoveries were wearing thin. The Saviour of Universe never moved, never talked, or even slept for that matter. Max had been so worried that he had got the teens parents in to try and coax him out. But Ben had said nothing, and refused to move. Forcing his parents to take drastic action, and try and drag the boy out. It didn't work, Ben just went Rath, but what surprised everyone the most that, Rath, one of Ben most angry and loud aliens barley said a word. He just gently picked up his parents and took them outside, changed back and re-took his seat.

Pulling up to the base, Kevin couldn't help the grief that washed over him. Everything in everyone's lives was going so well, everyone was on high spirits, and then the worst happens. Not only does Ben almost lose his girlfriend, he almost loses his child as-well. Gwen was losing her best-friend as well as her cousin, and he was losing a brother and a sister. They had saved the universe, protected innocent people's lives but putting theirs on the line and this how the universe repays them? Something's have a funny ways of showing appreciation.

Being to deep in his grief filled thoughts, Kevin didn't notice Gwen get out the car and head inside the base. He quickly got out and followed, he found her were he thought he would, standing outside the unconscious tennis players room. Tentatively walking up to her, he wrapped a strong muscular arm around her small waist.

Looking through the window, he was greeted with sight that always haunted him when he came here. Ben was sat by the side of the bed, chin resting on his knuckles as he stared at Julie's lifeless body. His once lively green gaze now dull and listless, his honey coloured skin had paled and his eyes sunken into his skull. He was un-naturally skinny, many had tried to force him to eat, but none had succeeded. Its was shocking how much the teen hero had deteriorated in such a short time.

"Time is running out. If she doesn't respond soon, they are going to pull the plug" the redhead spoke grimly, her eyes never shifting from the sight in front of her. Kevin felt his stomach drop, everyone was losing hope for the raven haired girl's recovery. The only few that believed she could make it was Gwen, Ben, Grandpa Max and himself. Even her parents had given up. Anger coursed through him as he thought about how her parents had just given up, not even bothering to fight for their daughters life. They had said 'it was better this way, no-one gets hurt and we can move on'. To him, it was a bunch of bull crap. Not only would it ultimately destroy what was left of the Ultimatrix wearer, but would crush Gwen, and everyone else who felt Julie was a important part of their life. It made him sick to the stomach that they had just let go of her so easily, like she wasn't worth that much and could be thrown away in a moment notice.

"Why is everything about time?" he questioned to himself out loud. Gwen's lips pulled up into a small smile as she remembered a lesson someone had taught her a long time ago,

"Because Kevin, Time heals all wounds" the Anodtie spoke softly, the Osmosian teen threw a confused look her way.

"Who told you that?" He asked, generally curious. Gwen continued to smile, hope returning to her heart. Some how, she suddenly had a feeling that things may just turn out fine.

"A very good friend" she answered. Turning round she headed out, back towards the car. Kevin, to stunned at what had happened, just stood frozen in the spot. How had she gone to being depressed one minute and suddenly be smiling like she had won the lottery next? He didn't know, but all he did know was that, sometimes, Gwen confused the hell out of him. But weirdly, he liked it, and wouldn't ever want her to change.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the room the two teens had been standing outside of, Ben slightly turned his head in the direction of his team-mates voices. He knew they were there to check up on him and Julie, they always did. But nothing ever changed. He was still just an empty soul, and she was still in Acoma. Her parents were still going to pull the plug and there was still nothing he could do about it.

He had never felt so useless in his life. Everyone else was making decisions for them, telling them what to do. Deciding their fates without even consulting them first. When he had first heard the news that Julie's parents were going to pull the plug, he felt angry. Angry at the fact they had given up hope so fast, angry at the fact they were taking the easy way out to make themselves feel better without realising how it would affect other people. Angry at the fact they were going to terminate 2 lives that had barley just begun.

But some part of him knew they right. She hadn't responded at all since the accident, and as time wore on the chance of her recovery was getting weaker and weaker everyday she didn't wake up. It killed him to know that both she and their child may never get to see the sun rise, or get to see the beauty of nature.

He felt his eyes water again, but refused to let them fall. Crying wouldn't help, he needed to be strong. For Julie, for their child. He remembered the words Kevin had said to him a week after the accident,

_Kevin stood by the side of the bed, onyx eyes swimming with sadness and sympathy. He turned to the silent brunette, eyes turning serious._

"_Ben, I need you to listen to what I have to say. I'm not normally one for good advice, but I think you need this" He spoke, he voice reflecting the seriousness in his eyes. Ben looked up, Broken jade meeting burning onyx._

"_You can't give up on her, no matter what anyone says or does. You have stand up for her, fight for her, do whatever you can to make sure they don't try and take her away from you. Be the person who believes in her when nobody else does. Because that may decide if she lives or dies." The dark teen commanded, the Ultimatrix Wielder watched his dark eyes cloud over with pain and he relived the time he went insane again. A new wave of guilt washed over him as he thought how he had been so ready to end his best friends life, the only reason he hadn't was because Gwen had fought tooth and nail and found a way to cure him. _

"_She's counting on you Ben, now more than ever. Show her you care, show her she's worth it. Let everyone know that your not letting her go without one hell of a fight. Be. Her. Hero." Kevin told the boy. With that he left, leaving the teen to ponder his words, and hopefully learn from them._

The last few words had struck him. Looking down at her still body, a new sense of determination filled him. He wasn't just going to let them take her, he was going to save her, he was going to show her he cared. He was going to be her hero.

_**A/N: *Dramatic Music* Its all happening now! Will Ben be able to save her? Or will Julie's parents get their wish and pull the plug? Stay tuned to Tough Love to find out! (and don't forget to revieeewwww)**_

_**Sammyantha **_

_**X**_


	12. Forever Broken

_**A/N Here we go another chapter! And a big thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially The Cretin. Yes, I do want to find out who you are! And if you could give me some way of getting in contact with you I would love to run an idea by you. **_

_**And another thing, The Purge. That was an AMAZING EPISODE! And whoever says it wasn't needs to be smacked some sense into. The episode showed a true side of Ben, the side that although wants everyone to be safe, can be pushed to do some drastic things. Kevin, you make me laugh so much! "Dude use Way Big, that would be hilarious!" Only you Kevin, only you. :P Plus when Gwen had a go at Ben for using dear old Kev for ammo **_

_**Ben: At least we worked as a team…**_

_**Gwen: Friends do NOT use friends as ammunition! **_

_**But you have to admit Gwen, it was kind of cool! Anyway can't wait for Simian Says. I read someone's review for it and it sounds awesome! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing, MOA own everything. **_

* * *

Converse clad feet stormed through the hallway, the echoing heavy foot-falls the only sound in the plain white hallway. Ben's mind swarmed as he thought about how he was going to defend Julie's life from her parents. Legally, he could do nothing. He may have been the Saviour of the Universe, but her parents had full rights over their daughter, and could do what they wanted with her. But that wasn't going to stop him, he was going to let them know what he thought and what he would do to protect the love of his life and child.

Turning into one of the many rooms that lined the long hallway, he was immediately met with the sight of Julie's parents sat around a large oblong oak table, cups of what looked like coffee in front of them. Azmuth stood at the other end, a serious expression on his face and his arms behind his back. Grandpa Max, Gwen and Kevin were there also, their expression's grief stricken. Seeing Ben in the door way, Azmuth's expression turned to one of surprise.

"Tennyson, good to see you up and about, we were just discussing Miss Yamamoto's future" he spoke, his tone more serious than usual. The teen hero's gaze flickered from the small alien to the parents, burning anger shot through him as he thought about how they were throwing their precious daughters life away. Taking a deep breath he prepared to defend Julie's life.

"Good that's what I have come he to talk about" he spoke, his voice was hoarse from the weeks of not being used. Clearing his throat he begun, staring directly at her parents.

"I'm not letting you take her away from me, and I will do what I must to make sure you don't" His voice was hash, his clover green eyes burning into their own. Julie's mother stood up, face twisted into anger and was inches away from his own.

"You have no right to tell me what to do what with my daughter. You are the reason she is here in the first place. We are pulling the plug whether you like it or not, she hasn't responded and probably never will. It's easier for everyone to let her go now than have to hope for something that will never happen" she spat, he voice never wavering from the icy tone.

The brunette teen didn't even blink at the statement, he knew they were wrong. They couldn't just pull the plug because they were fed up of waiting for her to respond. Patience was a virtue, he was sure in time that things would change and she would come back to them. He wasn't going to give up hope just yet.

"Just because you think she's not going respond doesn't mean she wont, given time she might well do. Why are you giving up hope so fast? She's your daughter for Christ sake! You of all people should have the most faith in her!" he almost shouted, his anger was rising with every word Mrs Yamamoto spoke. It was like she didn't even care enough to give her only daughter a chance.

"We did have faith in her! We had faith that she would go far in life! Have a wonderful family and have everything she ever wanted! But that all went to pot when she met you, You tainted her! Ruined her life! Made her into something she never should have been! You're the reason that this has happened, you alone! So don't tell me I have no faith! Because I did, but you ruined that too, like you ruin everything else!" she screeched, her honey coloured eyes brimming with tears, that soon flowed freely down her cheeks.

"No you don't! If you had faith, you would be doing everything in your power to make sure she came back! And what about the baby? When you pull that plug, not only will your daughter die, but also your only ever grandchild! Your telling me your going to terminate two lives that have barley just begun?" he questioned, his anger pulsating through his veins. How a mother could be so ignorant of her child's life was beyond him. He was sure that if things carried on he might say something he would regret.

"The baby wouldn't survive even if we did let it go to full term! And if by a miracle it did manage to survive, how would you explain to it why it doesn't have a mother? And how would you look after it? You too busy jetting off beating up people! You expect to be able to take it into battle with you? Face it! Its more humane to terminate it now!" Julie's mother seethed. Ben froze, she had got him there. What if Julie never did wake up? How would he take care of the child? He barley had enough time to go out on a date with Julie let alone take after a child. And a battle-field was no place for a baby.

Maybe Julie's mother was right. Maybe it was better this way. If the baby did, by some chance survive, the life he currently led was no place to bring up a child. It would constantly be in danger and my not live long enough to reach one.

His shoulders sagged a little as it all hit home hard. No matter what they tried, someone would always get hurt. He opened his mouth to agree with her and tell her she could have her way, when Kevin's heartfelt words echoed round his head like an annoying catchy song that wouldn't go away for love or money.

_"You can't give up on her, no matter what anyone says or does. You have stand up for her, fight for her, do whatever you can to make sure they don't try and take her away from you. Be the person who believes in her when nobody else does. Because that may decide if she lives or dies."_

It made him think about his red-headed cousin, and what would have happened if she had given up on Kevin so easily when he went insane, if she had let him kill the dark haired teen like he wanted to. He knew the answer to that. Kevin would have been dead and forever known as a monster, Gwen and Mrs Levin would have been devastated and he would always be known as the hero who murdered his best friend.

He was glad that Gwen's love for the big brute and her strong will meant she would never let that scenario come to light. Because she had never given up on him, never stopped believing that he could change. And like his cousin with Kevin, giving up on Julie wasn't an option. It never should have been an option.

He squared his shoulders and stood tall, un-willing to show defeat. Defiance shimmered in his deep jade orbs.

"I don't care" he spoke "I am determined not to let you end your daughter's life so easily. You may be ready to give on her, but there are people here that are ready to fight for her" his voice held and air of authority to it, reminding Gwen so much of her Grandpa Max.

"Why?" Julie's mother questioned, her voice quivering with grief as tears streamed down her heart shaped face "Why must you do this? Why must you make things harder than they need to be? Do you have any idea the pain a mother feels when seeing her only pregnant daughter in an Acoma she may never wake up from? What it's like to know the child she is carrying maybe your only ever grandchild and you won't even get to see it?"

The teen felt shame build in the bottom of his stomach. He looked away from the woman's face that reminded him too much of the girl he knew he was going to lose.

All this time he had thought that Mrs Yamamoto had never really cared her daughter, especially since she found out she was pregnant. He never took into consideration how hard it must be to see her little girl grow up so fast and then end up on the brink of death.

"Why keep fighting for something that will never happen? Why put all your hope into a dream that will never come true?" she questioned again, her tear filled eyes twinkling with curiosity. The 18 year-old lifted his head and looked straight at her, his head cocked slightly as he thought about her question.

He knew why he kept defending her. It was thanks to his best-friend that he realised why. He took a look back at the dark-haired teen, who had an arm lovingly wrapped around his cousins growing waist. A smile adorned his lips when Kevin gave a curt nod to him, signalling he could tell her .He turned back to face Julie's mother, the smile still in place.

"Because Mrs Yamamoto, I love your daughter" He spoke softly, his voice overflowing with nostalgia as he thought about all the good times he and Julie had spent together. "I made a promise to myself that I would fight for her when no-one else would, do whatever is in my power to make her happy and safe. I am never going to break that promise. Not now, not ever. She is my universe, and I swore on my life that I would serve and protect my universe, and I intent to do that till it is no longer possible"

In the sidelines, Gwen couldn't be more proud of her cousin. He had matured so much in just 2 years. gone is the immature Ben, who would happily blow off the team to watch a Sumo Slammers marathon. He now always turned up on time, stuck to the plans he had made and did all that was possible to make Julie feel special and loved. Yes there were still times when the egotistical jerk side of her cousin would sometimes slip out, but that was just his defence mechanism against the trials he had to go through on an almost daily basis.

The tennis players mother's thin lips twitched up into a smile, and she dabbed a few tears from her reddening eyes. "That was beautiful, you really do care for my daughter" She said, Ben felt his heart speed up, its furious beating ringing in his ears. The thought that she would change her mind and let Julie live thumped loudly in his mind.

"But unfortunately…" she continued and the hero felt his heart stop dead in his chest. The hope he once had shattering "My decision still stands. We pull the plug in two days and let her die naturally. I'm sorry Mr Tennyson, but this really is the what's best for both of them" With that said, Julie's mother began to leave the room, along with any hope Ben had of having his girlfriend back.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. He only had two days left with the love of his life and unborn infant. They were being viciously being ripped away from him, and nothing he could do would change it.

No. No way was he going to let Julie go. Not .Over. His. Dead. Body.

"You cant do this! I wont let you!" He shouted, catching the mother just as she was about to walk out the door. She stopped in her tracks, her body tensed and her fist clenched at her sides. She spun round on her heels, honey coloured eyes boring into the Ultimatrix wielding teen in front of her.

"You can do nothing! Give it up! This is one battle you cannot win! She is gone, no longer yours!" she spat back, her voice wavering between anger and grief.

The Saviour of the Universe wasn't going to have it, he wasn't going to stop fighting. Anger began to well up inside him at dangerous levels.

"I can and I will! I am going to make sure she lives, at whatever cost!" He shouted back, his hands curling into fists as he tried to control the untamed anger that swirled inside him like a vortex.

"No you wont, because I wont let you!" the older woman shouted back. She turned to face Azmuth, who looked slightly aggravated at the argument in front of him. "Azmuth, I want you to make sure this…thing, doesn't come anywhere near my daughter. I don't care what it takes, just do it!" She ordered harshly to the little alien, who in response nodded his head.

He hero's eyes widened in terror at what had just happened. He was being banned from seeing her, the beautiful woman he called his girlfriend and the mother of his child. He wouldn't even be able to say goodbye. He wouldn't even be able to see her face one last time…

That's when something deep inside him snapped, something that had been buried for such a long time was rising through him. A surge of pure power blazed through his veins, its speed being urged on by the unkempt anger inside him.

"You have no right to ban me!" He hollered, his voice slightly distorted "She is MY girlfriend. The mother of MY child. You have not got the power to stop me!" His voice was warped and vicious, a voice his redheaded cousin knew all to well. Her emerald gaze flickered over his face, searching for sign to show she was right. When she saw a flash of magenta replace the normal clover green of his eyes, that's when she knew she had to do something, and fast.

As quick as lightning she sprinted round the large table and proceeded to stand in-front of her out of control cousin,

"Get out the way Gwen" he commanded, his inner Anodite voice bleeding more and more into his normal, human voice.

"But she didn't budge. Standing her ground, she prepared herself encase she needed to knock out her cousin before he hurt anyone.

"No Ben, you need let go of the power and calm down" she ordered. She knew what the power could do to him if he carried on the way he was going. It wouldn't be pretty for any of the parties involved.

"I shall not! She is trying to take her away from me and I wont let that happen! I promised I wouldn't!" he hollered again. His body began to take on a magenta glow as the power built up inside him. Soon his skin began to peel away, revealing the dark purple Anodite skin underneath.

The other quarter Anodite began to panic. The power was taking over his body too fast, she racked her brain for anything to try and bring him back before it was too late. An idea popped into her mind, it was risky and could go any way, but it was worth a shot.

Ben's skin continued to peel away, and soon enough no human skin was left, leaving him in his full Anodite form. Like Gwen, his skin was a deep purple. His hair was slightly longer and normal and was a bright white, tipped magenta at the ends, his body was muscular and well defined.

The red-head knew she needed to put her plan in action now, if she wanted any chance of getting her cousin back.

"Ben! Please! You have to come back to us. We need you, Julie needs you, you child needs you! If you don't let go of the power, all your fighting would be worth nothing and you really would lose her!" Gwen begged, Ben seemed to take in her words. His once angry face drooped and twisted into one of pain.

"But she wants to take her away from me, I cant let her do that. She is all I have, I cant live without my Julie." He spoke, his voice heart-broken.

Gwen felt a pang of sympathy for her cousin hit her heart. All he was trying to do was defend the one he so desperately cared about, like she had done with Kevin. Nobody could ever know what its like to have the person you love being ripped from your fingertips. She shot a dirty look at Julie's mother, who had an disgusted and slightly afraid look on her face. Noticing the redhead glaring at her, she gave her one right back.

" I know she does Ben, but you have to come back to us. We will find another way to save her" she said softly to him. With those few words, Ben's body began to lose its bright glow and his human skin began crawling back over his body.

There was a moment of panic when the purple began to take over again, but with enough concentration and soothing words from his cousin, the teen hero soon returned to normal. He stumbled into his cousins awaiting arms, all the energy he once had drained. He now had a sense of empathy for Gwen, feeling weak and fragile from using too much energy was awful.

Supporting Ben to the best of her ability, she shot a look over to Kevin, who quickly came over to help the drained teen stand upright.

"You okay Ben?" Kevin asked concerned. He hated it when Gwen went full Anodite, and watching the male Tennyson do the same thing wasn't any easier.

Ben gave the dark haired a shaky smile "Yeah, I'm fine, just weak" he turned to face his cousin with a look of gratitude "And thanks Gwen, I owe you"

The redhead just waved it away "We're family, you don't owe me anything. I'm just glad your back to being my cousin"

Mrs Yamamoto cleared her throat loudly, breaking the cute family moment the two cousins were sharing, "Mr Tennyson, this does not change my decision. In fact, this has strengthened the reason we should let her go. You are uncontrollable, you could snap and kill her and the child at any second. Therefore you are still prohibited from going within 100ft of my daughter or face the consequences of your actions if you do" With that she left the room, leaving everybody else startled of what she just accused the teen hero of wanting to do. Everybody with a brain would know Ben would never hurt Julie, even if he was out of his mind.

Ben pulled away from his team-mates hold. Stumbling a few steps, he soon regained his balance and listlessly walked out the room. His head hung low, obscuring Gwen's view of her heart-broken cousins face. She shot a worried look to her boyfriend, who had a look of grief and concern on his face.

"Tennyson" Azmuth's voice called out, stopping the boy in his tracks. The little alien hopped of the table and went over to the teen. Leaping onto the mute brunette's arm he started fiddling with the Ultimatrix dial. After a few second's the device made a groaning beep before shutting down completely.

"I'm sorry Ben. But this is what I must do. Once I feel that you are once again safe enough to use the device I will re-activate it" the scientist spoke. The two other teens looked on in disbelief, Azmuth couldn't do that! Ben had lost so much already, losing the one thing that he thought made him a hero could be the thing that broke him forever.

Looking at his wrist, the once teen hero closed his eyes before pressing the release button on top of the Ultimatrix and sliding it off his wrist. Bending down he placed it on the floor before walking out the door, probably never to be seen again.

That's the point that Gwen broke down, the strong resolve she had once had about this whole situation leaving her along with any dreams she had of having everything back to normal. She crumpled to the floor, body dissolving into wailing sobs that seemed to echo round the small bland room.

Kevin quickly came to the redhead side and scooped her shaking her body into his arms. He soothingly rubbed circles on her back whilst whispering gentle words into her ears. Grief swept over him as he thought about what had just happened, everything he once knew was gone, and they were all now left with a painful hole in their hearts. Both Julie and Ben were gone from their lives, and no matter how much they tried, nothing could replace the two teens.

Tears slipped from his eyes as he continued to cradle his sobbing pregnant girlfriend in his arms. He knew that after 2 days from now, no-one in the tight knit group would ever be the same again.

* * *

In the tennis player's room a few rooms down from the others, a cloaked figure stood beside the bed were the unconscious girl resided. Her deep blue eyes filled with grief, but also a spark of hope. Tentatively she reached and stroked the girl's warm cheek

"Don't worry Ben, I will make sure they don't take Julie and the baby away from you." she spoke softly, a hint of determination could be heard in her voice. In a flash of light she was gone, leaving the room deathly silent and empty.

* * *

_**A/N Ohhhhh SNAP! It really is all happening! Do you think everything will turn out fine? Or will the team be split up forever? Find out next time! And don't forget to review!**_

_**Sammyantha x x x**_


	13. Nothing's Ever Easy

_**A/N: Shwoo! Another Chapter for you awesome Benlie-ians out there. Thank you so much for the reviews. Eunice and everyone else, it really means the world to me that you are reading my story an liking it! Okay, I know you lot have been practically DYING to find out what happens to Julie, but you are just gonna have to be patient. She is coming up next chapter and that's when her fate will be decided *Insert overly dramatic music here***_

_**And whilst on the subject of updates, mine are going to start becoming few and far between. College has started and because I am equestrian I have to go in on weekends, which means less writing time and fewer updates. But I will try my very hardest to update as fast as I can. Also I know some of you are waiting for me to update 'Never Take What You Have for Granted' that should be up shortly. Anyway I hope you enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing, zilch, nada, nothing. Got that? Good**_.

* * *

Another punch, another kick, another cry of agonising pain. It just all seemed the same to the brunette teen as he continued to assault the bright blue punching bag in front of him. For the past two days since being told his girlfriend and child were going to die and he wouldn't even be able to say goodbye, he had locked himself in an un-used gymnasium and took all his anger and grief on a lone punching bag that hung in the centre.

With another guttering cry of anger, he threw a punch, hitting the bag right in the middle. Causing it to slightly rock back and forth. He knew today was the day they were pulling the plug, the day that he would forever be an empty, broken man. He tried to push it to the back of his mind, think of something else apart from the unbearable pain he felt in his heart. Nothing worked, she was always there, in everything he did. There was no escaping the fact she was the one that made him who he was today.

Every thought he had connected to her, and every thought he had of her, he would take his anger out on the punching bag.

The way she screamed out his name in pleasure when they made love. A punch.

The way she would listen intently to his new tales of heroism. A kick.

Her jovial laughter as he chased her round Grandpa Max's secret fishing rock, which ended up with them having their first kiss under the moonlight. Another punch.

This carried on until his muscles burned for him to stop, and he no longer had the strength or energy to carry on. His well defined shirtless chest heaved and dripped in sweat, making his skin gleam in the small trickle of sunlight that made it through the small, dirty windows situated near the ceiling of the gym.

He collapsed into a heap onto the cool hardwood floor, his breath coming out in short puffs. Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes and ran into his hairline as he thought about how he had failed her. How he had lost the one battle that meant the most to him, out of the so many less important ones he had blown her off for to go fight and won.

He wasn't a hero, he never had been. He was just a boy who had been dumped with a lot of responsibility and forced to fight for the survival of his planet. Julie was the hero. She had always been there, picking him up when everyone thought he was never going to fight again. Guiding him through the dark times, soothing him when he was upset. Waiting patiently for him to come home safe and sound so she could listen to his new tales of how he had saved people.

Nobody ever gave her enough credit for what she did, especially him. Nobody ever took any notice of her because she was just 'Human', so in their eyes she was useless. But to him, she was perfect. Powers or not she was his guardian angel, always watching over him. Seeing the pain and strain that he hid from others.

But that was gone, he was going to have to face life without her there to support him. Go back to living a life of lies so nobody would see how, under the tough bravado he put on, underneath, he was just a frightened boy wanting nothing more than to be normal and not have to face the horrors he saw everyday.

Not even his own cousin knew the pain he went through after coming home from particularly stressful missions, but Julie did.

He would ring her up after returning home, he would tell her about the mission, his thoughts and feeling about what happened. She would always listen, taking in every word he would say. And then with her sweet innocent voice would tell him that what he did was right, that being able to make those tough decisions was part of being a true hero, and that, no matter what he chose she would always love him.

A shift in the manna around him brought him out of is depressed thoughts. Since unleashing his inner Anodite, Ben was able to sense the manna around him, and could detect when someone was near.

"I know you're out there, so don't bother hiding" he called out, his angry voice echoing round the empty gymnasium.

A chuckle broke through the silence and with a flash of light a cloaked figure appeared a few feet from were the once teen hero was sitting. Her face was obscured from view by a large blue hood, but Ben already knew who it was.

"Always was the observant one weren't you?" she asked rhetorically, her voice hiding a tinge of amusement. The teen shot her a dirty look, unimpressed at her attempt at humour at such a depressing time.

"Why are you here? To make my life even worse? Because if so, save your energy. You've already done enough" he spat viciously, his temper with the uninvited guest flaring.

"But my dear Ben, I haven't done anything. Why are you blaming me for your misfortune?" the figure asked. A burst of white hot anger burst through the ex-Ultimatrix wearing teen. Standing up from his position on the floor, he stepped towards the woman, his jade gaze hard.

"That's exactly the problem!" he roared, the pain of losing Julie once again rising in his heart "You could have saved her! You said you were all powerful? Why didn't you heal her and stop them from ripping her away from me?" he hollered, his voice coated in grief as tears once again cascaded down his sunken cheeks.

The figure felt sympathy rip at her heart as she saw pain and heartbreak write its way across the boys face. She had felt the same way once, and it hurt her to know that he was going through the same thing.

"I couldn't Ben, you have to understand. I wasn't allowed" she spoke softly, in an attempt to calm the poor hysterical boy down.

"Who told you that load of bullcrap!" he angrily questioned, the fact she was trying to pawn him off with some pathetic excuse made the idea of beating the crap out of her all that more appealing.

"That would be me young Benjamin" a familiar voice called out from the shadows, a voice that Ben knew meant trouble.

"Paradox?"

* * *

Gwen sat on her window-sill, her dull emerald gaze watching the empty, well kept garden below. Inside, she was a rage of emotions. Anger, at the fact Julie's mother was taking away her daughters life. Grief, because two of the few people that actually understood her and would help her through all the tough times life threw at her were gone. Confusion, she wondered why this always happened to them, why they were the people always forced into horrible situations like this.

Gut wrenching pain filled her heart as she thought about her cousin, who was probably wondering around somewhere, heart-broken and vulnerable. Every battle he had fought, all the dangerous villains he had stared down, they hadn't phased him. But losing the person he would kill for? That was sure enough to break any man.

"Gwenny?" Natalie called out, she had been told what had happened with Julie, and could understand why Gwen was so miserable. Carl and Sandra were equally devastated, they thought everything was going good. Then hearing the news, they accepted the fact that, along with Julie, they were losing their only son as well.

The redhead tore her gaze away from the window to look at the caring face of her mother. "Yeah Mom" she responded weakly.

"Kevin's here. Do you want me to send him up?" she asked softly. She knew if anyone could cheer her daughter up even a little bit, it was Kevin.

The Anodite meekly nodded her head and gave her mother a small, sad, smile as thanks. She watched as her mother left the room before switching her gaze back outside. She soon heard her mother mumble something to someone downstairs, then heard heavy footsteps that could only belong to Kevin, ascending up the stairs.

The footsteps carried on until they were right outside her door. "Come in" Gwen loudly mumbled before Kevin even had a chance to knock..

The dark haired teen slowly entered the room, his burning obsidian gaze immediately locked onto the sight of his distraught girlfriends body perched up on the window-sill.

"Hey babe, You okay? Your mom said you haven't moved since I dropped you off, she's worried about you" he spoke softly, Gwen knew that voice, it was a voice he only ever used around her, but this time a layer of worry was hidden underneath the warming softness on-top.

Was she okay? She didn't know, she had given up trying to figure things like that out a long time ago. Her cousin and best friend was gone for her life, she was pregnant and only at the age of 18, and because she was pregnant, she had turned into a social outcast and was now considered a slut by teens and parents alike. So she guessed, she wasn't alright.

"No Kev, I'm not alright" she chocked out, tears threatening to fall from her bloodshot eyes for the umpteenth time that day. Without a second of hesitation, the ex-con crossed the expanse of room that separated them, scooping her sobbing form in his arms, he began to try and ease the grief she was feeling.

He knew that there was no quick fix, he knew that the old Gwen, who was full of vigour and life would probably never return, not completely anyway. He could empathise with the pain she was feeling right now, knowing that you will never see the people you love again was devastating. It had taken him years to accept the fact his dad was never coming back, he had certainly not completely got over grief yet. Heartbreak would always flare up on holidays and special occasions. The hardest for both his mother and him was their wedding anniversary, both would always shed a few tears on that day, both feeling the loss. But they worked through it, like he would with Gwen. He would help her recover, try and heal the damage done to her heart and his.

After a couple of minutes, the red-heads sobbing dwindled down to small sniffles. Gently pulling away, he gently wiped away the few tears that remained on her face with his thumb.

"I'm sorry Kev, I Just, Julie and Ben. It hurts so much" she said, her voice barley above a whisper. He pulled her back into a hug, her head resting in the crook of his neck.

"Don't ever apologize, You have every right to be upset. They meant the world to you, to both of us." he reassured, his fingers tangling themselves in her long mane of fiery red.

She snuggled against him, a small part her feeling healed. She knew she had a long way till she could get over it and move on, both of them did. But she knew together they could make it.

"Oh hey" Kevin called out into the comfortable silence that had settled over them as her remembered the other reason he had come to visit. "I got you something"

The Anodite pulled away from him, a small frown on her perfect face "You didn't need to get me anything, you know I'm not the kind of girl that only loves you for material possessions" the Osmosian teen chuckled under his breath

"Well, I'm pretty sure your going to love this" he gloated, a proud smirk writing its way onto his pale features. Reaching into the pocket of his worn, navy jeans, he pulled out a locket that looked familiar to the redhead.

"My locket!" she cried, her emerald gaze flickering from her boyfriends proud face to the shining locket resting in the palm of his calloused hand.

"Yep, you left it at mine last time you stayed there, I brought it to you encase you were going mad looking for it" he told her. Tentatively reaching out, she scooped up the jewellery into her hand. She ran a gentle finger over the small engravings on the front.

"Take a look inside, I made a few improvements" he instructed, Gwen shot him a confused look before complying. Delicately prying open the fragile piece, she was met with the usual picture of her and Kevin's day at the pier, but looking at the normally blank space next space to it, she saw something that made her gasp aloud and tears to prick at her eyes again.

For in the usually vacant space, was a picture of the four of them, smiling and laughing in the sun. She remembered that day. The whole of the Tennyson, the Levin clan and Julie, had convened at the beach for a family barbecue. Which ended up with them ordering a take away from Burger Shack because Kevin had managed to set the food on fire, after going off to chase Ben for squirting ketchup in his face.

"Oh Kevin" she whispered before turning to face him, a broad smile on her face." I absolutely love it, thank you so much!" she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, only breaking away when they were in dire need for air. Leaning their foreheads together, he looked deep into her emerald eyes, drowning in beauty of them.

"Now, you have all of us in there, always. Were ever you go, we'll be there" he told her softly. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, a mixture of joy and grief swan around in her gut. Yes they were gone, but like Kevin had said, they were with her wherever she went, in the locket and in her heart, forever.

* * *

"Paradox?" The brunette teen called out in surprise, it was rare to get a visit from the time travelling hero nowadays, especially after the team had sorted out the whole 'George-and-the-mass-alien-purge' situation that had gone on a few years back.

"Yes, Benjamin, me" the time traveller repeated. The shock on Ben's face was immediately replaced with anger as all the pieces clicked into place.

"What do you mean you wouldn't let her!" He shouted, Paradox looked unfazed by the hero's burst of anger and calmly walked around slightly, his shoes making a dull echo ring around the dusty gym.

"I wouldn't let her because it was necessary to me, and to you, that Julie and the child perish. Although it wasn't supposed to happen, I had to make sure it did" the immortal man explained, his voice serious.

Ben stood in disbelief, Paradox had _MADE_ this happen? But he was a hero, he was supposed to stop things like this happen, not make them happen!

"You made this happen! Why? You're supposed to be hero! You're supposed to save people not kill them!" He roared, magenta light flickering around is closed fists

"Ah, but I had to, it was the only way to save you, and possibly the rest of your family" the scientist pointed out.

"Save me! that's a laugh! Thanks to you I lost everything I ever had! If you wanted to save me, you would have saved Julie, You would have saved the _unborn_ child in her womb!" He shouted again, tears streaming down his face. Because of Paradox and his meddling, Julie had died. Leaving him broken, soulless, _empty. _

"Ben, if I had let Julie live, you would have probably ended up hurting her and the child anyway!" He defended, the man's dark eyes boring into the teens angry jade ones. Ben forehead crinkled in confusion and a slight bit of annoyance

"What do you mean, I would have hurt her?" he questioned, his voice slightly calmer than before.

"You have SPD, meaning Split Personality Disorder" the scientist revealed. Making the teens eyes widen in shock. " Because of you recently unleashing your inner Anodite, your personality has split in two, the caring and justified side and the angry and egotistical side. At the moment, your caring and justified side rules over the angry side. But as time wears on, and the more stress and grief you are put through, more and more of the egotistical and angry side is slipping out, making it dangerous to you and the people you love." he explained. Ben couldn't believe his ears. Julie's mother was right, he was a monster, a monster split in two, ready to attack as soon as one side gave up, letting the dangerous side get free.

"Now, the reason I let Julie and the child perish, is so that I could study you," he continued " I observed that around her, your calm side seems to flourish more, pushing the angry side down. But when you are away, it creeps back, getting steadily stronger. Also, when the girl is in danger, and or hurt in anyway, the dangerous side almost completely takes over. If, like now, Julie were to die, the dangerous side would take complete control of you and your mind, making you constantly angry and vengeful. Causing to take it out on family, loved ones and anyone who decided to get in your way"

Ben couldn't make any sense of what the man was saying. Apparently, because he had unleahed his inner Anodite, his personality had split in two, the angry side being controlled by his alien side, whist he controlled the calm side. But if this was true, why hadn't Gwen's personality split in two?

"At first I thought that I could travel back far enough to try and stop this from coming to light, but travelling across countless universes I noted that even if I did go back and warn you, the condition still developed within you. Travelling back further in your timeline, I took into account, that when you were younger, you were shunned from social groups because you were different. This is one of the factors that help power the bad side of the condition. Thinking that maybe getting you friends would help stop the condition, I tried it, but found that didn't work either. But looking harder, I noted that like your cousin, the person who seems to be able to tame the Anodite side of you was your partner. Paradox explained further, his voice never wavering from the deadly serious tone.

This was all too much for the ex-Ultimatrix wielding teen. He had just been told that he had a mental disorder that spawned from his alien ancestry and he could never get rid of it and/or prevent it.

"But, I saw future me and he was fine! He didn't seem like he had anything wrong with him, so why has this only come to light now?" Ben questioned, his head swarming with information he was still trying to process.

Paradox let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples to try and alleviate the headache he knew was about to form, he hated trying to explain time travel to people. "Because Benjamin, you saw a version of yourself that hadn't become a early father. You and Julie were not supposed to have a child until you were 25. But somehow, the alternate universe were you do become a father early and your original timeline have crossed, So therefore, in that timeline you had not unlocked your inner Anodite till later in life, meaning it was easier to control."

"Oh" was all Ben could say as he tried to figure it all out. "So you're telling me that, a timeline were this happened, and my original un touched timeline have crossed? But you said they must never cross!"

The scientist sighed again, this was going to be harder than he thought. "Yes, I did say that. That is why I have come to this timeline to try and sort things out before we end up with a universal catastrophe in our hands" he said aggravated. The more time he spent explaining the situation the brunette, the less time he had to make sure nothing bad happened. Well, worse than what had already happened.

"But now you have made it worse! You killed Julie and the child! Meaning I could turn dangerous at anytime! Not only that, but you have also hurt everyone else who knew her!" He shouted, his uncontrollable temper flaring again. Power surged through him, obviously his inner power trying to get free again. He kind of got the concept of what Paradox was saying, and if he had understood correctly, killing Julie was the worst mistake the time traveller could make.

"No Ben, I have already explained this, Julie and the child needed to perish, I needed to see what would happen if she ever did happen to die, now I see that you basically lose every part of what people would class as 'Ben' and revert into a angry, uncontrollable weapon, that could very well wipe out everyone in this universe in one devastating swoop" the traveller said, feeling to much like he was repeating himself.

The teen hero opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it and shut it again.

Paradox, knowing the only ever way to get Ben to accept things was having him seeing it with his own eyes, decided that showing the teen what could have happened was the best way to make the warning really hit home.

"Instead of standing here repeating myself over and over again until you finally understand, I'm just going to show you" He turned to the cloaked figure, who had been unusually quiet in the arguments "I would like you to go visit the girl, delay them as much as possible, if you must, include Azmuth in your plans" he commanded, the figure nodded and disappeared in a flash of light. Turning back to the 18-year old, the time traveller pulled out his old, worn gold pocket watch, and in another flash of light they both disappeared, only one of them unknowing to the horrors that faced him.

* * *

**_A/N: Another twist, things seem to be getting harder for our poor hero. Plus a little bit of Gwevin in there to mix things up a bit. ^.^_**

**_Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review my lovelies!_**

**_Sammyantha x x_**


	14. The Light At The End Of The Long Tunnel

_**A/N: YES! Got this chapter done and up in my time limit! Thanks you all for being so patient with me! I would like to also thank all those who reviewed as well! And yes this is the chapter were you find out what happens to Julie! BTW this is the longest chapter I have ever wrote, with just under 10,000 words 0.o**_

_**On another note, the new episodes? ARE FANTASTIC! Except Perfect Girlfriend. That episode made me so mad I had to turn it off before I had even got half way. MOA, WERE THE HELL HAS MY JULIE GONE! Seriously? I understand Ben can be frustrating. But what happened to the sweet nice Julie I adored? Now they have changed her into this person who gets angry at the smallest of things. I am so surprised that MOA haven't broken them up yet. Because what they are doing with couple is downright wrong! **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing, If I did, Benlie wouldn't be on the rocks all the time, there would be a Julie Yamamoto figure for sale, and Eunice, Jennifer Nocturne and Elena would be dead. Simple as. **_

Ben hated time-travel. The idea that you could go to your future, or you could see your past self confused him. He had once asked Paradox to try and explain it, but that just ended up with him being even more confused and gave him a huge headache every time he tried to figure it out. In the end he settled for accepting the fact you could time travel and left it at that before he hurt himself anymore trying to grasp the concept.

The bright light that had once consumed his vision disappeared, leaving dark spots dancing in his eyes. Fiercely blinking them away, he took a look round were Paradox had taken him. He found himself in a large, lavishly decorated hallway. In-front of him stood a grand mahogany staircase, the wood finely detailed with engravings and mother of pearl decorations. At the top it split into two, one leading to left and one leading to the right, between them hung a large tapestry, its bright colors depicting a fight of some kind. It looked familiar to the teen but he could quite place where he had seen it.

The rest of the hallway was decorated in an expensive green and white swirled marble. A row of three heavy wooden doors lined the hallway on the right and 4 on the other side. Ben guessed whoever lived here must have had a lot of money; no way anyone on earth could afford this.

"Where are we?" he asked the man beside him.

"Why, we are at your mansion Ben" the scientist told him, he smiled to himself as he watched the boys eyes bulge out of his skull.

"Wait, what? There is no way I could afford this! Even with my Plumbers checks." he pointed out, his gaze once again looking over the beautiful decorated room, which was apparently his.

"Ah you see, with your added fame you became richer than Bruce Wayne and Bill Gates combined, you are the richest man in the whole galaxy" The time-traveller pointed out. The 18-year olds jaw went slack. All this was his? Man, he must live like a king! But then the realization struck him that he was living without Julie, and not all the fancy marble and staircases in the world could fill the void her death had left.

"Yeah, but all this means nothing if Julie isn't here to share it with me" he said sadly, his green gaze once again clouding over in grief.

The ageless man opened his mouth to say something when he heard heavy footsteps descend down the hallway, headed towards were they stood. He knew who it was, and knew it was time to give the boy some answers, that would hopefully change his life for the better.

Just then a man around his late 30's entered the hallway; he was dressed in a tight fitting black t-shirt with green cargo pants and black army-style combat boots that reached mid-shin. His russet coloured locks were neatly trimmed, not a strand falling out of place. His green eyes were hard, not a spark of emotion flowing through them. On his left wrist the Ultimatrix rested, its bright green casing juxtaposing against his honey coloured skin.

Ben immediately knew this was an older version of himself. But to him, it didn't seem like it. This version seemed to cold, too robotic to be him. Yes, he had seen a version of himself that was what he would class as the world's biggest jerk, but even that version had what people classed as the "Ben" spark in him. Not this one, he seemed almost….evil.

"Kenneth!" The older version of the team called out, his voice spiteful and harsh. The teen winced at his tone, he definitely had to agree this was the worse version of himself he had seen, and he hadn't even been around him for 10 minutes!

A few seconds later a boy slowly made his way down the stairs, he looked about 10, maybe 11 years old. He had messy brown hair that was a shade of two darker than his own and had acid green eyes. He wore a baggy red top and pair of faded navy jeans, on his feet was a pair of black converses. The boy looked a lot like he did when he was 10, except his hair and skin was darker than his was.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs the boy, known as Kenneth, kept his head low, obviously not wanting to look his father in the eyes.

"Yes Dad" he answered monotonously, his head never lifting from where he was staring at the floor.

"You are in a lot of trouble young man!" the older man shouted, his voice never wavering from the harsh tone he had adopted. "You have been causing trouble in lessons, haven't been doing your work and are practically flunking every class! How you managed to get through 4th grade is beyond me!"

Kenny's shoulders sagged, and he scuffed his foot nervously on the floor. Ben could tell the boy had been a through a lot of these lectures from his father about his school, he had the same problem with his parents. Luckily he had had Julie to help him.

"What do you have to say for yourself Kenny?" the boy's father asked

"I don't get the work Dad, and the teacher is horrible. The only reason I mess around in class is so that I don't get bored out of my skull and forget the little bit of stuff I actually learnt" the young boy admitted to his father, he never once looked up, thinking the floor was better to look at that than the angry face of the man in front of him.

"That's no excuse Kenny! You could have asked for help!" the older version of himself hollered at his son, his face going red from anger.

Kenny's head shot up, his acid green eyes burning with their own ferocity at his father's words "From who Dad?" he shouted back, angry gaze never leaving his father's own disappointed look "My teacher hates me! And even when I do ask he never helps me! And your never here, you never have enough time to see me let alone help me with my school work!"

The teen watched with wide eyes, the news he never spent time with own son shocked him. He would do anything to spend time with his child! It just showed that the man before him wasn't him; he was nowhere need close to ever being him.

But Kenny wasn't finished yet, no he went on to say something that would really set his father off on him.

"If Mom was here, she would help me"

That was the final straw for Ben 10,000, his face twisted into uncontrollable anger. In one swoop his muscular arm had swung forward and slapped his son round the face, sending him sprawling to floor, a red hand mark prominent on his left cheek. The 10 year-old looked up in terror as his father stood over him, his face inches away from his own

"You dare say anything about your mother!" he hissed, he voice slightly warped "If it wasn't for you she would still be alive, you're the reason she is dead, nobody else's. It would have been better if you had never been born!"

Seconds after, he moved away from his terrified son, and was now angrily stomping down the hallway. Kenny sat there for a few seconds after his father had left, too shocked to do anything. But the feeling soon passed and the painful stinging that came from being slapped tingled its way up to his swollen cheek. Salty tears began to streak down his face, elevating the stinging in his cheek even further. He put his knees to chest, curling up into the smallest ball he could manage, his pain filled sobs echoing through the empty hallway.

Ben felt tears slide down his cheeks as he watched his future son's body shake with sobs. He had just watched himself tell his own child he wished he was never born, how could he be so heartless? Even with everything he had been through and may go through, he would never wish death upon anybody, especially on his own flesh and blood. The need to go over and soothe the crying boy was welling up inside him; he couldn't stand seeing the 10 year-old upset.

Paradox, knowing what the teen was about to do, put his arm in front of him, blocking him from going towards the young boy.

"No, you must not reveal yourself, it will mess up the time stream even more than it is already" the time traveller warned, he watched the ex-hero's shoulders sag and his head drop as tears continued to drip down his cheeks.

"What happened?" the 18 year-old whispered, his voice chocked "What happened to make me so _cruel?"_

The scientist sighed, knowing it was time to reveal all.

"You were born with what Verdona called 'The Spark'. But unlike your cousin, it didn't manifest itself into powers; instead it lay dormant, changing your body via your personality. As the years went on, it got stronger and stronger, turning you into a harsh, aggressive, egotistical person. You still met Julie when you were 15, and both were happy together, and your egotistical side was pushed down. But you dumped her after a year because she apparently wasn't good enough for you. Not being able to stand the pain and humiliation from the press and other students, Julie and her family moved back to Japan. That's when you rekindled with an old flame, Kai, I believe. She doubled the affect of your powers, meaning your Anodite side completely took over. You, Gwen and Kevin still became plumbers and all that, but they were shocked at how aggressive, temperamental and egotistical you became, blowing them off to go do press interviews and TV shows. A couple of years down the line, you and Kai got married, that's when Kai became pregnant with your son, Kenny. But there was a complication during child birth and Kai passed away. Since that day you have always blamed your son for her death, lashing out at him both verbally and physically"

The teen's fists clenched at his side as tears slid faster down at his cheeks. He was a monster, lashing out and hurting his own son because of his own grief. The man he had just seen wasn't a hero, but instead was just a bully, lashing out at the smallest things and making people's lives miserable.

"What about Gwen and Kevin? Wouldn't they take Kenny away from me?" He questioned, hoping that maybe his smart cousin and her boyfriend would save his child from the abuse sent his way.

"Oh no, Gwen and Kevin have been gone from a long time" the older man said sadly. Ben felt confused, why would they leave? Unless he was really that awful to be around, but seeing himself just then, he wouldn't put it past them to leave.

"But why? Gwen said she would never leave, and Kevin wouldn't just up and leave his mother here all by herself" the 18 year-old pointed out.

"It was such a shame really, after you murdered Kevin when he was Ultimate Kevin, Gwen couldn't stand to stay with the monster that killed her one love and left for Anodyne. And as for Kevin's mother, she died from a broken heart a year later" Paradox told the teen, his voice emotionless and cold.

The ex-Ultimatrix wielder recoiled in horror from what he had just been told. He had actually gone through with his threat and murdered Kevin. He had shamelessly killed his best friend and broken his cousin's heart. He hung in head in shame, lifting his left arm; he took a look at where the most powerful device in the whole universe had once rested. He was grateful that Azmuth had taken it away, and to be truthful he never wanted it back. Knowing what he could do and what could happen if he kept using it was not worth the glory and pride he got from being a hero.

"Come now Benjamin, we have more to see" the time traveller said, dragging the ex-hero out of his thoughts

The teen shook his head. He didn't want to see anymore, he couldn't take it. He had already lost what little faith he had in himself, knowing the monster he could, and most probably turn into made him want to run as far away from his family and life as he could so they could be happy.

"Please, I can't see anymore. Just take me back to Julie so I can say goodbye before it's too late" he begged, his voice a cracked whisper.

Paradox shook his head, he wasn't letting the teen get off that easily, he needed to see everything to be able to see the full extent of the situation.

"I'm sorry Ben, but you must see everything. I never do a half-hearted job, and you are no exception" he said sternly, pulling out his old pocket watch, he flashed them off to another place, giving Ben no time to argue any further.

He teen felt himself being pulled somewhere, but didn't have it in him to be bothered by it. What he could be seeing next couldn't possibly be worse as what he had just learned and witnessed back there. Knowing he as a murderer, an abusive father, and had shunned the only girl that ever seen the real him, had broken him even more than he was before. If that was even possible.

Another flash of light blinded him, once again leaving black spots dancing in his vision. He blinked them away, expecting to see a demolished town then for Paradox to tell him it was his fault and he had killed millions of people and aliens.

But instead he found himself in an high tech looking office; about 6 large computer screens lined the pale wall in front of him, each displaying different pieces of information. A desk sat under the screens, its dark mahogany wood a large contrast from the light walls. A figure was hunched over it, his dark caramel hair blocking the view of his face. He was muttering to himself whilst typing something on the keyboard, he would occasionally look up at the screen, but only for a fleeting second.

Ben squinted as he tried to figure out who the person sat in front of him was. Maybe it was his son, Kenny. Maybe Paradox was showing him his son's future so he could see that even after everything he had put him through he still turned out okay.

The sound of small echoing footsteps dragged his gaze away from the figure and onto the small passage that led off to the left of the room. The sound was getting louder and louder, but the teen noticed the man at the desk didn't seem to notice. That was until a small cry of "DADDY!" echoed down, the man's head immediately shot up, letting the ex-hero see his face clearly. Shock overrode his system when it came to light that the figure was HIM, maybe 2 years down the line.

Just then a small boy, maybe 1 or 2 came sprinting into the room, his small podgy arms spread out straight in front of him in the direction of his father. The boy had dark mahogany hair, and electric green eyes that juxtaposed against his pale skin The man who could now be identified as an future version of Ben himself, jumped out the chair and ran forward, before scooping his child into his arms and spinning him round, causing the small boy to let out squeals of surprise and delight.

Younger Ben watched with wide eyes and a slack jaw as the other version of himself continued to twirl and lift the young boy around, making him squeal louder every time. He wondered how this man in front of him, that was so happy and care free turn into the horrible, cruel, murderous person he had just visited.

Soon another set of footsteps were heard descending the same hallway his child has just sprinted out of. Ben watched the entrance with anticipation, wanting desperately to see who was going to pop out. What felt like hours to the Saviour of the Universe, that was actually only mere seconds passed, and with each agonizing second, the footsteps got closer and closer.

That's when a figure Ben thought he would never see again popped out, it was a sight that brought tears back to his already bloodshot green eyes. There stood Julie, in all her beautiful glory. Her shining ebony locks, her dazzling almond shaped hazel eyes that he would constantly get lost in. She was there right in front of him, _alive. _Oh what he wouldn't give to be able to run over and hold her in his arms again, to be able to kiss those succulent lips of hers till they bruised. But he couldn't. Because that wasn't _his _Julie. No, his Julie was lying in a bed, hours away from death, that is, if they hadn't already pulled the plug.

He took in every part of her, her face, her eyes, her swollen abdomen… He blinked, thinking maybe it was a trick of the light, but when he opened his eyes again, it was still there. He couldn't believe it, Julie was pregnant, again.

Unable to make words form due to shock, he turned to the man beside him with wide eyes and a slack jaw, looking for answers. The scientist let a devilish smile make its way onto his lips, oh how he loved seeing the surprise on people's faces.

"Yes Benjamin, that is Julie and she is indeed pregnant with your second child" he confirmed. A dopey smile plastered itself onto the teens face as he went back to watching the older version of himself spin and twirl his son round, all while Julie watched with a small smile on her face.

"But, this can't be my future, Julie and my child are probably dead right now, there is no way this can be true." He pointed out sadly, he desperately wanted it to be true that this was what was going to happen, but the chances were nearby impossible.

"Oh ye of little faith" the time traveller chuckled "Julie and the child were never going to die, I wouldn't let them. I simply made you think they were. If I hadn't the future you saw only moments ago would have become reality and this timeline would have become obsolete"

Ben couldn't believe it, this happy scene in front him was his future. He wouldn't turn into a monster, and he wouldn't have to live without his Julie or his child. For once in the past 4 months he felt happy, he felt a new sense of life, he felt _complete_.

Paradox laid a gentle, but firm hand on the boy shoulder "Come now young man, we have someone waiting for us" the teen turned round and smiled a genuine smile at him, a smile that hadn't been seen for such a long while, people began to think it was extinct.

Smiling back, the scientist flashed them out of the office, back to where they belonged, back to where Ben whole world was lying, waiting to be woken.

* * *

In a few rooms down for the unconscious tennis player's room, a heated argument was in full swing, neither sides willing to back down.

"You can't do this! She is my child, I have full rights over her and get to decide whether we should pull the plug or not!" the small ebony haired woman seethed, her face red from anger.

"Mrs. Yamamoto, we cannot pull the plug. The consequences of doing so would be catastrophic. In fact, it would be true to say that, the fate of the universe is weighing on hers and the child life" Azmuth explained slowly, he was getting really aggravated with having to keep explaining the situation to the woman.

"How? What has she possibly done to make it so that the world rests on her shoulders?" she angrily questioned, not believing one word the scientist had just said

"She fell in love with Ben Tennyson and made him fall in love with her" was the short, simple answer given.

Mrs. Yamamoto's eyes widened for a second, before narrowing into hard slits

"Its always that boy! He was the one that caused this and now you are saying that he is the reason we should keep her alive?"

"Yes" Azmuth again answered simply. He really didn't know why she just didn't accept it already. But he knew how stubborn humans could be over loved ones, he himself didn't understand it. As a young hatchling he was forced to fend for himself, he didn't have any siblings or parents and so therefore never got attached.

"You see, Ben deeply cares for your daughter, so much so that the alien side of him would go berserk if anything terrible happened to her, and would possibly wipe out the whole universe" he explained

But the Asian woman wasn't having any of it, no she was going to win this fight over hell and high water.

"You must think I was born yesterday! Do you honestly think I would believe any of that crap? I am not letting my daughter suffer anymore because of that boy!" she raged, her body practically shaking with anger

Azmuth let out another tired and aggravated sigh, then prepared to explain the situation to the stubborn woman all over again.

* * *

A bright flash blinded the almost empty room, out of the light appeared the two figures of world renown hero Ben Tennyson, and less known, but still a hero, Professor Paradox. Ben immediately ran to Julie's side, his hand instinctively clasping hers in a soft hold. He stare intently at her face for any sign of life. A smile, a twitch, as long as it was something that would tell his she was still there, he would be the happiest man on the planet.

Minutes passed, and there was still no sign of life from the tennis player. Ben began to get inpatient, Paradox had said she was going to wake up, So why wasn't she?

"Patience is a virtue Benjamin, remember, good things come to those who wait" the scientist said wisely, ultimately noticing the teen was getting fidgety and inpatient.

The ex-hero sighed, Paradox was right, he had to be patient. Julie would wake up in her own time, he didn't need to worry. That's when he felt it, a twitch, a twitch in her right hand. His eyes widened, and he concentrated all his mind on her face. Seconds passed, then minutes. Just when Ben was about to give up, her eyes began to flutter, and her mouth began to slowly move.

"Jules? Julie can you hear me" Ben called out softly, hoping his voice would get a reaction out of her. And to his joy it did. Her hand squeezed around his own, and her eyes began to slowly open.

"Ben"

At the small hoarse whisper of his name, tears once again sprang to his sore eyes. But this time they were tears of pure happiness. His Julie was back, he wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

"I'm here, I'm here" He soothingly reassured, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Her head slowly and carefully rolled towards the direction of his voice, when it stopped her hazel eyes opened to meet Ben's.

"Hey" he whispered, and carefully brushed a few ebony strands from her pale face. Paradox smiled at the couple. This was what made his job worth while, seeing the happiness on people faces. Silently, he flashed himself out of the room, leaving the couple to have their moment in peace.

"Were am I?" she asked confused. Last she remembered she was at the apartment, and they had just come back from shopping. Ben's face darkened and Julie picked up on it straight away. Fear flooded her veins, the baby! Oh god. No not her baby, anything but her little baby.

"You're in hospital, you had an accident" he told her, and looked away, not able to keep her gaze for the guilt that made his stomach twist in knots.

"What…what about the baby?" she tentatively questioned, her eyes wide with fear. The ex-hero's head shot back round, a smile on his face.

"The baby's fine. He's absolutely perfect" he breathed, tears welling up in his eyes, "both of you are" leaning over he placed a loving kiss on her forehead, and with his other hand that wasn't holding hers, placed it on her swollen abdomen that held their growing child. Right here, right now, Ben felt the happiest he had ever been, and he wouldn't want anything different.

But he knew he had to tell everyone else, and reluctantly pulled his hands away. Julie shot him a confused look

"I'm going to get the others, they are going to want to know you're awake" he reassured, and shot her a small smile, which she returned. Getting up, he gave her a quick glance before heading outside.

Once outside, he pulled him slim green phone from his jean pocket and proceeded to call his best friend, slightly giddy at the fact he got to tell him the good news.

* * *

Gwen sat curled up asleep in Kevin's arms, her soft breaths the only sounds in the room. She had fallen asleep soon after he had given her the locket. The emotional strain from the whole Julie situation had exhausted her body and she was catching up on much needed rest.

Gently running his calloused fingers through her fiery mane, he thought about their relationship. Sure they were going strong at the moment, but what about the future? Things could still go wrong, and with the baby coming along, their relationship would be put under strain. So what could he do to reassure her that he was in it for the long run? He wasn't one for soppy letters or stuff like that, he was more of an action man.

His thoughts were disturbed by the loud shill ring of his cellphone. Growling to himself and the person who had decided to ring him, he jammed his hand into his jean pocket and fished out his phone. Not bothering to look at the caller ID he answered

"What!" He hissed into the receiver, hoping the person on the other end would get he hint and make the conversation short.

"Kevin, it Ben"

His dark orbs widened to the size of dinner plates "Tennyson? Were the hell have you been! Gwen and your parents have been worried sick!" He raged into the phone.

"No time for that now, I will explain later. But right now you and Gwen need to get down to Julie's room pronto" Ben ordered into the receiver and before Kevin had the chance to ask why the teen on the other line hung up.

Fearing the worst, the dark haired teen set about the gentle task of waking up his sleeping girlfriend.

"Gwen, honey come on wake up" He said softly whist carefully shaking her shoulder. After a few moments she began to stir

"Hmm, Kevin what's up?" she asked groggily, all the while trying to fight off a yawn.

"Ben called" he told her. As soon as she heard her cousin's name mentioned, she shot up, her eyes wide "He wants us to go down to Julie, something's up, he sounded urgent" He finished, and before he had chance to get off the bed, Gwen was already half way down the stairs.

"Wait up Gwen!" he called after her whist stumbling to get down the stairs fast, without breaking his neck and possibly every other bone in his body.

Managing to make it down stairs he rushed to the front door, just in time to see Mrs Tennyson sticking her head out from the kitchen to see what was going on.

"Hey Mrs.T, taking Gwen to go see Julie something's up. I will get her to call you when we find out. Bye!" He jumbled out before sprinting out the door and to his car were Gwen was impatiently waiting.

* * *

Back with Ben, has was nervously pacing the hallway outside Julie's room. What would Gwen and Kevin do when they got here? He was pretty sure his cousin was going to go off on a tangent about how he shouldn't have just ran away from his problems and should have stayed and continued to fight for the love of his life. And it was true, he shouldn't have. But the pain of knowing he was useless and could do nothing made him afraid. Made him afraid of how much more this would happen, and if he could ever make it over that giant hurdle.

His ears pricked up as he heard heavy footsteps thundering through the echoing corridors in the base. He ran towards the sound, knowing it was his cousin and the Osmosian. Rounding a corner, he saw them up ahead.

"Ben!" Gwen called out when she saw her brunette cousin running up to them. When he reached them, Gwen wasted no time in pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so glad your okay" she whispered. Ben hugged her back, glad that she was here.

"Me too" he whispered back, hugging her tighter. That's when Gwen noticed how frail and skinny her cousin was. It was true that he had always been naturally skinny, thanks to his high metabolism and alien butt kicking, but had never been this skinny. She could feel his bones protruding from his skin and dig into her, and felt if she squeezed to hard he might crumble into a pile of dust before her. It was like hugging a walking skeleton.

"Umm, not to break up the cute family moment or anything, but you said something about Julie?" Kevin voiced awkwardly. Even after all this time he still wasn't good with family moments.

"Nice to see you too Kev" Ben quipped as he pulled away from his cousin, a teasing glimmer was present in his eyes, a glimmer that was reminiscent of the old Ben. The Ben that hadn't been around for so long.

"And to answer your question, Julie is awake. She woke up a few moments ago, and I thought you would like to know. Now come on lets go" he told them excitedly and sprinted off to back down the hallway faster than if someone had told him a Sumo Slammer holding a giant smoothie was waiting for him.

Gwen's eyes widened and glistened with tears "She's awake?" She breathed, unable to decipher if this was a dream or real life. Kevin came up beside her, and rested a large hand on her shoulder

"Come on, I know you wanna see her as much as I do" he said softly, she nodded her head slowly, still unable to believe any of it. Her cousin was back, and her best friend had woken up from the brink of death. It was fair to say that it seemed too good to be true. The dark haired took a step in front of her and bent down so she could climb on his back

"Your steed awaits my lady" he said chivalrously. The redhead giggled and awkwardly climbed onto his back, the baby bump making it harder than usual.

"Giddy up horsey!" she giggled, and Kevin let out a sound like a horse before jogging of towards the tennis players room. He didn't care if he looked and sounded like an idiot, he was just ecstatic to be able to hear Gwen's joyous laughter again.

A few more neighs from Kevin and giggles from Gwen, the couple finally made it to Julie's room. Seeing their flush faces and huge smiles, the ex-hero felt a slight sense of relief. Relief at the fact, even after everything, his cousin was still happy, still smiling and his best friend was still making sure she stayed that way.

"She's in there, I'm gunna go see if I can find Azmuth or Grandpa. They are going to want to check her over to make sure both she and the baby are fine" he told them and headed off back down the hallway.

The redhead gulped nervously as she got ready to enter the room were her pregnant best friend resided. She knew she should be rushing in, ecstatic that the girl was alive. But something at the back of he mind was holding her back, screaming that is was trap. And to be truthful, she was believing it. The fact the not only had Julie woken up moments before she was supposed to die, but her cousin, who was practically suicidal and had run off never to be seen again, was back and acting like the past 2 months hadn't happened. To Gwen, it seemed like one big sick dream, conjured up by her subconscious.

"Are we going in anytime soon?" Kevin's husky voice broke through the Anodite's thoughts.

"Yeah sorry, just thinking that's all" she replied hastily and offered him his a small smile, hoping he would by it and let the subject drop.

The Osmosian raised a think ebony eyebrow at his girlfriend. He could tell something was bothering her, it was obvious by her sudden change in body language. But he knew she probably didn't want to talk about it and so let it drop. For now.

"It's now or never" Gwen mumbled to herself and pushed the door open. Walking in, her emerald gaze immediately locked onto the sight of Julie, sitting upright in bed, rubbing her slightly swollen abdomen with a large smile on her face.

At that moment, seeing her best friend alive and smiling, all doubts in the redhead's mind flew out the window.

"Julie" She breathed, salty tears once again welling up in her tired, bloodshot, emerald orbs. Before the tennis player could even acknowledge the two other teens were in the room with her redheaded best friend rushed over to her and was now currently hugging her like her life depended on it, whilst sobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder.

Blinking a couple of times to make sure that what just happened wasn't her imagination playing tricks, she hugged the girl in her arms back, glad to see her best friend. Looking round, she spotted Kevin standing by the door, a small smile on his face. Noticing Julie looking at him, he walked further in.

"Hey Jules. How you feeling?" he asked softly, his dark gaze occasionally flickering to his crying girlfriend, who still had not released the ebony haired girl from her death grip.

"Fine thanks, just tired and hungry" the tennis player replied light-heartily, totally oblivious to the fact she and her unborn child were moments away from dying.

"So you're okay?" Gwen's hoarse voice spoke up, her red, puffy eyes desperately looking at the girl for the answer. The fate of her sanity and her cousins, rested on what Julie would say next.

"Yes, I'm fine. Both of us are." the ebony haired girl chuckled, he deep brown orbs twinkling with humour. She wondered why they so concerned. Nothing bad had happened, had it?

"Oh thank god" The Anodite breathed "I thought I was going to lose you"

A puzzled expression washed over Julie's face "Guy's. What are you talking about 'Thought you were going to lose me?' What happened?"

Panicked looks slapped their way onto the two other teens faces, and they shot each other worried looks. How were they going to tell Julie that she had almost died by the hands of her mother, and how Ben got the Ultimatrix taken away from him and unleashed his inner Anodite?

Julie's suspicions' began to rise when they didn't answer straight away.

"Guy's" she said threateningly, her eyes narrowing at them. She was fed up of being kept in the dark and having to find everything out last minute.

The redhead beside her sighed, knowing she was going to have to be the one to tell the girl the bad news. Pulling away, she sat in the chair her cousin had once occupied, and began to recall all the events that happened.

"Okay here we go. Y'know you were having those… "

"Jules?" The sound of the tennis players name being softly called out, interrupted Gwen's revelation, much to the teens relief.

In the doorway stood Ben, a broad smile on his face that lit up all his once dark and hollowed features.

"Hey" she called out to him, a equally large smile replacing the angry look that she had held. Without a second of hesitation, the brunette teen walked swiftly over and connected his hungry lips to her own. He didn't care if his cousin and best friend were in the room, he had been waiting for this day for so long, the day he never thought he would see. So he would be dammed if anyone was going to stop him from enjoying it.

Julie's slim fingers slowly crawled up his shoulders and tangled themselves into his caramel locks, whilst his hands gently cupped her cheeks, relishing in the feel of her soft warm skin under his finger tips.

Silently moving away from the couple, Gwen made her way over to her dark-haired boyfriend, who had a slightly disturbed and disgusted look smacked onto is pale face.

"Is that what we look like when we make out?" he whispered to the girl standing next to him, his onyx gaze never leaving the two teen's in front of him, who continued to assault each others lips with increasing desperation.

The redhead shrugged "Probably"

The ex-con's eyes widened and a look of surprise overrode the one of disgust

"Wow. I gotta give or cousin some credit. THAT is NOT pleasant AT ALL to witness"

Gwen chuckled, and slipped her small hand into his much larger one "He did try to tell you" she pointed out, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"I know but… I never thought he was actually right. I mean I always thought he was just being a whiney little moron, but now… I kinda sympathise with the kid"

Rolling her eyes, the Anodite leaned against his broad muscular shoulder and let a smile grace her plump lips. Maybe now, everything would be okay, and they would finally be able to move on with their lives, and maybe just maybe, be able to live happily ever after.

* * *

Ben breathlessly pulled away, his lungs burning for oxygen. He kept his eyes closed, and just revelled in the moment he had been longing for. Opening his toxic green eyes, he stared deep into Julie's glittering brown orbs, his breath once again being swept away from his lungs by the beauty of them.

"I want you to know that I love you" he said softy, his voice strained as he tried to keep the threatening tears at bay " I know I barely show it, but I do. I will always be here, helping you. Even if you hate me and want nothing to do with me, I will always be your hero and save you." with every word he uttered, it was getting harder and harder to control the emotions welling up inside of him.

"Because, I'd rather not be with you and see you happy, then not have you at all. I cant lose you Julie, I just…cant" The dam burst, and tears streaked down his sunken cheeks. The thought that he had almost lost her by seconds hit him so hard, that he worried he might not get over it.

Seeing her boyfriend's distress, the ebony girl gently cradled his head against her chest and soothingly ran her fingers through his hair, in an attempt to calm him down

"Shhh, its okay Ben, I love you too, so much. I never, ever want to lose you. I love you too much. You are going to be such a great daddy to our baby" she softly reassured. She hated seeing the brunette like this, he seemed so broken and weak. Not like the man who would fight evil aliens on a almost daily basis, but a scared little boy, worried he was going to lose everything he worked so hard to keep.

It took a couple of minutes for the teen to calm down, all the while Julie was whispering how he was a hero, and how much she loved him and needed him around.

Reluctantly pulling away from his girlfriends comforting embrace, he stood up straight and gave her a shaky smile to reassure her that he was fine. Scrubbing the tears from his eyes, he turned to his comrades.

"Thank you" He spoke, his voice still slightly choked from tears "For believing in both me and Julie. For urging me on when I laid down and gave up. I don't know what I would do with out you both being here to support me, and I hope I never have to find out."

He smiled at them, gratefulness radiating from his clover green eyes. Moving away from the redhead, Kevin did something that none of them expected the dark-haired teen to ever do. He pulled the brunette teen into a tight brotherly hug, consoling the boy he would always be here for him, as a brother, and as a best friend.

Gwen and Julie watched on with wide shocked eyes. They both couldn't believe that once upon a time, these two had tried to kill each other. But it was a lovely sight to see the two getting on so well, especially after their rocky past with each other.

Breaking away and smiling, the Osmosian teen turned back his girlfriend and placed a kiss on he forehead, as she continued to stand there with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape.

But as soon the smile had made it's way onto Ben's face, it disappeared. He knew he had to tell Julie what happened, but he didn't know how she would take it. And most importantly, if she would still want to be with him when she found out.

Facing her, he immediately felt guilty about what he was going to tell her. Noticing her boyfriends sudden change, Julie felt nerves twist her stomach on knots. What had got her boyfriend so miserable, so quickly?

"Julie, you need to know what happened to put you in here. You were infected with an Ectonurite. An alien that takes over people's bodies and makes them view horrible visions of themselves or loved ones, breaking them from the inside out." Ben revealed, his voice heavy with guilt and pain of reliving the days he thought he had nothing to live for.

The tennis player couldn't believe what she had just heard the teen in-front of her tell her. She had been taken over by an alien? But how? When? Did it have any lasting effects on her and the baby? These questions were all flying round her brain, demanding to be answered. But before she had a chance to say a single word, Ben carried on explaining things to her.

"Luckily we managed to get it out from you, but it left you in an Acoma. An Acoma you should have never woken up from." As soon as those words left his mouth, the teen felt anger rise up. He thought about how Julie's mother had wanted to kill her, wanted to give up on her. How he had failed to save her, the time she needed him the most.

Seeing her cousin was too deep in painful memories to continue, she carried on from were he left off.

"Week's turned into months, and you still hadn't woken up and there was no sign you ever were. People were beginning to lose hope, especially your parents. They wanted to pull the plug. Julie, you and your child were supposed to die today."

The tennis player recoiled in horror at what her best friend had just said. Her mother… the woman who brought her into this world and said she would always fight for her, wanted to kill her? But not only her, her child as well?

"But…She… and…Why?" she spluttered out, her heart heavy with the pain of betrayal. Tears sprung to her eyes as she processed what would have happened if her mother had succeeded. It wasn't a pretty picture…

Ben snapped out of his thoughts long enough to tell his girlfriend the answer

"She believed that it was what was best for you and the baby. She said that it was better for everyone that way, so they could move on with their lives and not waste their hopes on something that was never going to happen" He said bitterly, is vicious dislike for her mother oozing out of the words he spoke.

"I tried to stop her, I tried to fight for you. But she didn't listen to me. She banned me from seeing you and said I ruined your life. I'm sorry Julie." He felt his throat tighten and breathing become harder "I failed you, and our baby and I'm so so sorry, I tried, I really did. But I know apologies aren't good enough. Because thanks to me you almost died. It's thanks to me you never got to live a normal, safe life."

Light-headedness swept over him as his lungs burned desperately for life sustaining oxygen. His heart hammered in his chest as his body worked in over-drive to get his organs working again.

"I understand if you never want to speak to me" His words were coming short breaths " But I want you to know that I'm sorry, I never wanted this to happen" His vision became blurry, and he used the remaining strength he had to stay upright " I ruined your life, I never deserved a wonderful person like you… I never deserved any of this. I…" The ex-hero never got to finish his sentence as his failing body crumpled to the floor, his eyes rolling into back of his head.

"BEN!" the ebony haired girl called out in panic, and immediately began to shift off the bed to help her fallen boyfriend. Seeing her cousin fall to the floor, Gwen rushed over, her emerald orbs full of worry.

"Kevin!" she called to her boyfriend "Go get Azmuth! I think he's having a panic attack of some kind!"

Nodding, he rushed off to go get the little alien, silently hoping the brunette Tennyson would be okay.

"Ben, Ben! Can you hear me? Ben!" The redhead called out to her cousin whilst gently shaking him. Fear rose in the pit of her stomach when he didn't reply. Placing her fingers on his neck she checked for a pulse, she let out a small sigh of a relief when she found one. It was weak, but it was still there.

Pulling her weak body from the bed, Julie swayed a bit, before feeling stable enough to begin walking. Big mistake. Her legs, that hadn't been used in months, collapsed under her, causing her to fall to the floor. Luckily she managed to break most of the fall with her arms, but still hit the ground with a audible thud.

Cursing, she willed her body to move, just so she could tend to her fallen boyfriend. But it refused to budge. She was to weak to do anything, except watch her redheaded best friend try and help the boy she loved.

Gwen continued to try and get a response out of the unconscious teen. So far, it wasn't working. That's when she heard the heavy foot falls of, what she guessed, was her boyfriend coming back with help.

Seconds later Kevin came rushing in, along with Max, Julie's parents and Azmuth. Seeing the boy on the floor, Azmuth hopped off Max's shoulder and inspected the teen.

"Hmm" he mused, and continued to walk round the ex- hero, checking his stats. "It seems young Ben here has had a panic attack. Meaning his brain and heart have gone into overdrive and caused him to pass out. Take him to the other bed, he should be fine shortly." he told them.

"So he's going to be okay?" a small worried voice called out, making everyone's head snap to were Julie was sat on the ground. Her legs tucked underneath her as she watched the small scientist diagnose the unconscious brunette.

"Julie!" They all cried, and immediately rushed over to her. Kevin, being extremely careful not to hurt her, gently picked her up and placed her back on the bed. Feeling slightly awkward at the fact everyone's' attention was her, she attempted to reassure them and get their attention back on Ben.

"Hey, guys I know your happy to see me and all, but shouldn't we be more worried about Ben?"

"The boy will be fine. You and the baby are more important right now" She heard her mother voice speak up. A wave of anger and betrayal swept through her as she processed her mothers words. Her mother hadn't cared when she was unconscious about her and the baby, yet now she was acting if they meant more than the universe its self.

"Yes. But Ben is important to me and the baby, and I want to make sure he is okay" she spoke firmly. Seeing that Julie wasn't going to budge unless they made sure Ben would be fine and put in a bed, Max walked over to his grandson and gently scooped his light body into his arms. Shocked at how skinny his grandson had become over the past few months, he placed him into the bed next to the tennis players and turned to his redheaded granddaughter.

"Gwen, will you a Kevin do me a favour?"

"Yeah sure Grandpa, what do you need?" Gwen politely questioned, her curiosity spiking at what her grandpa could possibly need.

"I want you to go down to Mr Smoothy's and Burger shack. Buy as many smoothies, chilli fries and burgers as you think you will need. We need to get some weight in this boy, if he doesn't eat soon he's going have a whole host of problems to deal with"

They nodded and headed out the room to retrieve the wanted items. Waiting until he knew the two teens were out of ear shot, he turned to Julie, and serious look on his usually happy features.

"Julie, I want you to answer honestly to the next few questions okay?"

"Um…okay" she replied, confused. Why were they being so secretive and demanding? She and the baby were fine, nothing else bad had happened.

"How do you feel? And don't just say fine. You need to tell us now if you feel any pain or discomfort"

The ebony haired girl sighed, knowing they were going to ask that question. "I'm fine. I don't feel any pain or discomfort. The only problems I have is that I can't walk and I'm starved. " she said exasperated. She just wanted to be left alone with Ben, she needed to sort out her thoughts before she did anything else.

"Okay, now that's taken care of, How much did they tell you?" he questioned again. The girls face hardened as she recalled what the others had revealed to her.

"They told me everything" she said darkly, her hard gaze settling on her mothers face "About the Ectonurite, the Acoma, and how my own parents wanted to take away mine, and my child's life so easily"

Her parents looked away from her gaze ashamed. Ashamed they never believed in their daughter.

Max nodded, his face apologetic as her saw pain and betrayal flash across the girl features for a brief moment.

"Okay Julie. Call us if you need us. We'll be back later to give you a look over" he told her, knowing she needed to have a word with her parents.

With that, the retired Plumber and the alien scientist left the room. Leaving the only the pregnant teen, her parents and the unconscious boy in the other bed.

"Julie, baby. I know you're probably mad and upset right now…" her mother began, her voice soft and calm to try and avoid a fight.

"Mad! Mum, you were going to KILL me! How could I not be mad!" Julie raged, her voice growing in pitch with every word.

"Well yes I understand that. But you have to understand honey, we really thought it was easier this way" her mother continued to try and soothe.

"For who Mum? You and Dad? So you wouldn't have a pregnant teenage daughter and keep your perfect image? Did you even bother to ask what Ben thought about this? About the whole situation?"

The woman in front of recoiled slightly as Julie fired of angry questions at her, her voice harsh and demanding.

"It was never about image. We care about you sweetie, both you and the baby. Ben didn't need to be involved in this, he was the one who caused it. It didn't concern him."

The ebony haired teen threw her hand's up in the air in disbelief at what her mother said.

"If you cared, you would have tried to end my life, like it was something to throw away" she pointed out, her tone accusing.

"And there you go again Mum. Blaming everyone but yourself. Not everything is Ben's fault, it takes two to tango y'know"

"Doesn't concern him! I am his girlfriend! I am carrying HIS baby! So tell me Mum, how doesn't it concern him?"

The older woman stayed quiet for a second, trying to find a good way to word what she was going to say without upsetting her daughter anymore than she already was. Noticing her mothers hesitation, she turned her question's to her father who had stayed quiet through the whole fight.

"What about you Dad?" she questioned, her voice slightly pained as she tried to hold back the rush of emotions that were hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Did you think it was better to let me go? To pull the plug on your little girl? The little girl you told that if it ever came down to it, you would always fight for?" Tears spilled from her eyes as she stared at her father, hoping and praying he was still the man she had always look up at, The man she would forever call one of her heroes.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I'm so so sorry. I never wanted to let you go, but it really was the best option at the time. We just didn't want you to suffer anymore" He answered truthfully, he too on the verge of tears.

"How could you Daddy?" she sobbed, and endless stream of tears flooding down her pale face.

He tried to move forward to comfort her, to tell her how sorry he was. But Julie stopped him before he could

"No, I…I can't be near you right now. Please… just leave me alone"

Her parents nodded, there faces etched with shame. They retreated from the room, but before they were completely away, her father turned round, his eyes begging.

"Julie. I just want to let you know I'm sorry. We both are. And if you have it in your heart to forgive us, we want to be a part of both your's and the baby's life"

With that they left, leaving Julie alone. She continued to cry even after they had left. She couldn't believe that her parents had been so willing to give her up without a second thought of how it might affect people. She didn't recognise them as the people who had brought her up anymore. The people willing to do anything to make their only daughter happy. And she doubted she would ever see them that way ever again.

"Jules? Are you okay?" she heard a voice call out, breaking her thoughts of parents. She turned to face were Ben was sat upright in bed, his face contorted in worry.

"No, I'm really not" she choked out between pitiful gasps of air. Swinging his legs off the bed, he made his way over to his sobbing girlfriend. Taking up the small space beside were she lay, he cradled her shaking body in his arms, gently rocking her back and forth as she cried.

He had heard everything. And knew that this wasn't going to be easy. He would have to pay special attention to his ebony haired beauty to make sure she wouldn't make her self sick with worry and grief. He just hoped after all that they have been through, that things would get better. But like Paradox once said, The future is not set in stone, and anything could happen to change it.

_**A/N: Yay! Kind of a happy ending. But JULIE LIVES! *Does happy dance*. I was going to kill her off, but I couldn't do it. Anyway, hope you liked it and don't forget to review!**_

_**Sammyantha x **_


	15. A Sinister Plan

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my Ben 10: Ultimate Alien bed sheets**_

* * *

In an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the small, well known town, a figure was pacing. His hard, dark gaze glared at the floor with such hatred, that anyone walking in may have thought it was the source of his problems. His obsessive mumbling could barley be heard over the heavy foot falls, caused my his metal soled combat boots.

"Urgggh!" he roared out in frustration " How does he always get out of it? It was fool proof plan that none of those stuck up do-gooders ever expected! And yet the stupid girl lives?"

He continued to pace, his thoughts wondering to how the hero trio had found out his brilliant plan. His partner hated the meddling teens as much as he did, so he wouldn't have told them. But no-one else apart from his partner and himself knew about the plan, so how had they found out?

His intriguing and deep thoughts were soon broken when a second set of heavy footfalls could be heard heading towards were he was currently waiting. Stopping his pacing, he stood facing the small, metal door that was the only way in and out of the run down warehouse.

He didn't have to wait long, after a couple of seconds his partner walked in. His eyes scrutinizing the man in front of him as he walked further in.

"I see your plan backfired" he said monotonously, but the other male knew there was a dangerous hidden meaning behind his words " I thought you said the plan was fool proof?"

the man's dark eyes narrowed at his partner. "Yes, but you know very well what those 3 are for ruining well thought out plans. Especially with the amount of times Tennyson has managed to beat you" he pointed out, making the other males eyes glare daggers at him for mentioning his, not so fortunate past with the hero.

"Anyway, I have come up with a new plan. A plan better than just killing of his wretched girlfriend. We are going to strike them were they are vulnerable, we are going to do something they will never forget" He eyes glinted with pure, unbridled blood lust as he thought about what he was going to do to the trio. A dark chuckle slipped from his lips, echoing around the empty and desolate warehouse.

An excited shiver ran up the second man's spine as he thought about what his partner had in mind for their mortal enemies. Maybe this would be the chance for some sweet revenge. A chance to see the people who had managed to ruin his life again and again finally break in-front of him and beg him for his forgiveness and mercy.

A cruel smiled plastered its self on his pale lips. Ben and his team would never see them coming.

* * *

_**A/N: Don't forget to review!**_

_**Sammyantha x  
**_


	16. Our Little Man

_**A/N: Another chapter for you wonderful readers. I'm sorry this took so long to get up but I have had some trouble with my wrist and haven't been able to type for a few days. This is generally what you might call a 'Filler' chapter (Even though I hate it when people use that term for episodes and such).**_

_**I would like to dedicate this to ETNRL4L, who has been through a bit of a rough spot recently. Also she is a true inspiration to me, and has helped me so much. **_

_**Enjoy **__**:)**_

* * *

The look on Kevin's face was priceless as Ben placed down his winning Uno card.*

"Uno" he called out smugly, a cocky grin making its way onto his face. He chuckled to himself as he watched the Osmosian's disbelieving onyx orbs flick back and forth between the teen's face in front of him, and the lone Uno card the boy clutched in his hand.

"You cheated!" He shouted and pointed an accusing finger at the smug boy in front of him. The teen's eyebrows quirked up at the Osmosian's accusation

"Really? Really Kevin? You're gunna play the 'he cheated!' card? I didn't think you were that much of a sore loser!" he quipped back to the older boy, who looked just about ready to bop him round the head.

"I am not a sore loser!" He defended, which in response got another quirk of an eyebrow off Ben "It's just, no way could you have won! Gwen, Julie and I made you pick up like, 8 cards only a few turns ago!"

The male Tennyson just chuckled at his friends attempt. Leaning back on his chair, he crossed his arms behind his head. The cocky, self assured grin never once fading from his face

"Just face it Kev. I'm awesome. Unlike you, who wouldn't know what awesome was, even if it punched you in that ugly mug of yours"

The dark haired teen glared at the smug teen in front of him, his clenched fists just itching to punch the younger male in the face

"How about I punch your ugly mug and see if it knocks some awesomeness out of you! Or maybe it might just kick start that peanut sized brain of yours" he snapped back, and raised on of his fists threateningly. Seeing the threat, the ex-hero leaned forward and hovered his hand over his arm, only to realise that he no longer had the Ultimatrix to back him up. Eyes widening in horror, he looked at the burly male in front of him and gulped.

A smug smile of his own made its way over Kevin's pale features, his eyes gleaming with glee and he inched towards the defenceless boy, his fist still raised threateningly.

"Guys!" Gwen warned, green eyes narrowing dangerously at the two sparring males. "Can't you two go 5 minutes without wanting to beat the tar out of each other? It's just a game. You don't see me or Julie fighting about who won or lost" she reprimanded, in what Ben liked to call 'Mom mode'

"But Gwen!" Kevin whined to his girlfriend sat beside him, acting more like a 5 year old than a 19 year old bad boy and father to be "He called me a sore loser! And said I was ugly! I mean come on! I am so much better looking than he is. I have roguish charm!"

The brunette teen in-front of him let out a humoured snort, causing everyone's attention to snap back to him "Please. I am way better looking than you. Both Julie and all my fan-girls agree"

Julie, unimpressed at her boyfriend's attempt to 1-up his best friend by using her, loudly cleared her throat and sent a dangerous look his way "Don't try and drag me into this, and start putting words in my mouth"

But being the oblivious person he was, the brunette teen didn't acknowledge the deadly hidden meaning in his girlfriends words, and carried on regardless.

"Yeah but you love me really and you can't deny my good looks, its what attracted you to me in the first place. You couldn't look away from my handsome face and ripped 6 pack"

Spying the gap to possibly ridicule her cocky boyfriend and never one to miss out on good opportunity, the tennis player sent a comeback that sent the cocky teen reeling

"Oh, I see. You mean like the way you tripped over your own feet in the lunch line when I walked past and got mashed potato over your face? Yeah that was really handsome. And I don't think 6 packets of chilli-fries a day counts as, what you would call 'a six-pack'"

Snapping his head round to were his ebony-haired beauty was sat upright in bed, a pout replaced the cocky look on his face.

"BURN!" Kevin called out as he began to laugh at the brunette Tennyson's misfortune, causing everyone else in the room to begin laughing at the pouting teen.

"Hey! No fair Jules! You said that was cute! There are no takesies-backsies! What happened to "use your wit to amuse not abuse?"" He whined, getting slightly annoyed that his plan to annoy Kevin had backfired so badly.

Trying (and failing) to suppress the giggles that infested her body, Julie attempted to console her boyfriend. "I'm sorry Ben, but you did kind of deserve it. And technically I did use my wit to amuse, because Gwen and Kevin find it funny"

Another round of snickering and giggles erupted round the group. Getting agitated at the other's immaturity, the Saviour of the Universe began to conjure up a way to get back at his so called friends and family members.

His revenge filled thoughts led him to the mission at the Perplexahedron. It was the first time, both he and Kevin, had admitted how they felt towards each other. It was a mile-stone in their rocky friend-ship, and one Ben wouldn't easily forget. The moment the dark-haired teen had revealed how his felt about their friend-ship, he felt a sense of accomplishment. With the work of him, his cousin and a lot of other people, they had managed to turn a border-line sociopath kid that nobody wanted or trusted, into a valued team-mate, boyfriend, son and a hero a dozen times over.

But then a different moment popped into his head, a moment that would give him perfect material to humiliate his best-friend.

"Well, its not like Kevin over here hasn't embarrassing stuff before. Hey Kev" He called out loudly over the laughter that echoed round the small room.

Hearing his name being said, Kevin stopped laughing and looked at the teen quizzically, curiosity peaking at what the younger male was going to say next.

"What you talking about Tennyson?" He carefully inquired, he knew what the teen in front of him was like for being a blubber mouth. A wicked smile crept over the boys one annoyed features, worrying the dark-haired teen slightly as to what the boy had up his sleeve.

"Oh, I was just thinking, and remembered something that happened. That's all" was the vague reply given. Kevin's dark eyes narrowed at the teen. He knew he was up to something, he could tell by the evil smile on the boys face. But he couldn't for the life of him think of what dirt the Tennyson boy had on him. Every time he had done something stupid, or said something he shouldn't, Gwen had been there. So what was it Ben was thinking about?

Seeing the Osmosian had taken the bait, Ben continued his plan to humiliate the teen. He picked his next words carefully, he knew if Kevin picked up on what he was insinuating he was pretty sure the teen would do anything to make sure he didn't reveal the secret.

"Well, we know that I took you forever and a day to ask Gwen out, and even when you did grow a pair and managed to ask her out, you still couldn't tell her how you really felt" he said off-handed. He knew that it was one of the only weakness that the older male ever showed, and it was a touchy subject.

Catching her name being mentioned, the redhead sat and listened intently to the conversation, wondering what her cousin was up to.

"Were you going with this Tennyson?" Kevin growled, knowing the brunette was trying to get a rise out of him. The younger male smirked, an evil glint present in his eyes.

"Well I just thought Gwen over there" He nodded his head in his cousin's direction "Would like to hear how in the Perplexahedron you admitted to me how much she truly means to you"

The Osmosian's dark eye's widened in both realisation and horror at his best friends threat. If what he said was revealed, not only would his supposed 'Bad Boy' rep be crushed, but neither Gwen or her cousin would ever let him forget it.

"You dare Tennyson and I will personally make sure that you wont be having another kid anytime soon" He threatened, his eyes narrowing dangerously towards the smart-ass teen in front of him.

Gwen, who was watching the exchange with wide, curious eyes, let a smile grace her lips as she wondered what her boyfriend could have possibly said that was so, undeniably soppy and unlike him that caused him to react the way he was now.

Ben just continued to smirk at the dark-haired teen, brushing off the threat as if it was something he got on a daily basis. (which it probably was, knowing his occupation)

"Ah Kevin" he let out a small chuckle "You should know by now. You don't scare me anymore" he turned his attention to the redhead, smirk widening at the look on her face "You see Gwen. When we were trapped inside the Perplexahedron and we got split up, Kevin over there began to panic"

"Tennyson!" The older male warned again, desperate to stop the male from telling his girlfriend what happened. But again, the brunette just shrugged it off and continued to recount what happened.

"So when Mr Macho began to panic, I tried to reassure him by telling him that you could fend for yourself. To my utter surprise, he replied that he knew, and that was one of the reasons he liked you so much."

Out the corner of his eye, Ben could see a blush slowly crawl its way up the Osmosian's pale cheeks.

"Then, as we continued to walk through, I told him how much we had changed over the years. How we had changed from wanting to kill each other every week to being practically brothers. He shrugged it off at first, but then he stopped. He told me that, he likes the Kevin that you see, is thankful for the fact we have given him so many chances, even after he had messed up all the other times. That he owes us, for changing his life for the better."

When Ben had finished, the room went deathly silent as the occupants dwelled on the story. Kevin looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole from the embarrassment of being showed as soft. Julie, who had always known that the dark-haired teen was really just a big ol' bowl of mush under that hard shell, had a proud smirk on her face from being right, and Gwen? Well, she looked like she had just been slapped in the face.

Her bright green eyes as wide as saucers and her mouth was hanging open in disbelief. She pointed to her cousin with a shaky finger, before turning and pointing it to her boyfriend.

"You…a-a-nd you…a-and me" was her jumbled response. The brunette had to stifle a chuckle at her bewilderment. Very few things left his cousin speech-less, and he had successfully just found one. But his mirth was soon cut short when a large, goofy smile cracked its way across his redheaded cousins heart shaped face.

"Ben, could you come over here for a second?" She asked sweetly, her eyes twinkling. Fear settled itself into the pit of the ex-hero's stomach. He didn't like the way she had asked so nicely. She never asked that nicely. When ever she asked, him specifically, to do something it was always held a twinge of annoyance or anger.

To put it bluntly, he was terrified.

"Why?" he asked back, scepticism heavily lacing his voice. Hs question was met with laughter from the redhead. Ben couldn't help but rise a thick russet eyebrow at his cousin's actions. Was she on drugs or something? Or had the cord finally snapped?

"Just come over here" she ordered gently "Please?"

Deciding it was better to comply then possibly get beaten up for that fact he hadn't, he got out of his chair and walked over, still eyeing her warily. She in-turn, just rolled her eyes at his behaviour and stood up herself, dragging her mortified boyfriend up with her. The brunette had to worry what the girl was up to, especially as it seemed it was going to involve the burly teen as well.

He edged towards the redhead, his green eyes scrutinizing her for any sign that she was going to hurt him, or do something to humiliate him more than he had been already. But, he found to his complete and utter shock, that when he reached her, she did neither. Instead she grabbed him and Kevin, and pulled them both into a tight hug.

Realising she wasn't going to hurt him, he hugged back. He soon felt the dark haired teens arms join in.

"I don't know what I did to find two wonderful boys like you to live with, but I wouldn't change you for anything. Grandma has nothing on what I have here, no way in hell" Gwen's voice floated out from were she was wedged between the two boys.

Pulling away, the trio exchanged looks of happiness. Reaching out, Kevin ruffled Ben's russet locks

"Yep. You may be a complete and utter moron and an egotistical jerk sometimes. But, your our egotistical moron."

The brunette teen sent him a playful glare, earning a chuckle from the other male. Gwen just rolled her eyes at her boys, but she couldn't help the smile on her face. They had all come a long, long way since they were those little 10 and 11 year olds.

"Gwen's right" Julie piped in, her eyes glittering "You two may be rock-heads, but we wouldn't be anywhere without you. Your our boys"

The two males turned to the ebony haired girl, grinning like they had just won the lottery.

"Awe love you too Jules! GROUP HUG!" Ben called out, and the two advanced on the girl before both smothering her in hugs.

* * *

Looking in, Max's face broke out into an broad grin. Those 4 had been put through more than anyone could imagine, and they were still only teenagers. Yet, they still managed to laugh and have a good time like they hadn't been about to lose everything.

As a Plumber, he had seen so many families torn apart by the loss of loved ones. He had to witness, strong, independent men break after what they had seen in the field and what could happen to their families. But these 4 kids took it in their stride, working with what they have and what they feel and turning into something wonderful that could possibly help hundreds, even thousands of people and aliens. It was a trait that very few people possessed, and he was glad that the universe had these amazing people taking care of it.

"Ben, Julie" he called out over the laughter that had infected the room. The two mentioned teens turned round to face him, grins that could match his own on their faces "It's time"

They both nodded in understanding. Max then flickered his kind gaze to his granddaughter and her boyfriend "Gwen, You're just down the hall"

The teens said their goodbyes and wishes of good luck, before the redhead and the Osmosian left the room and headed down the hall. Julie felt anxiety settle in her stomach. This was the first time both she and Ben were going to see their child, but the burning question that was on all their minds was; would the baby be okay? Especially after the stress they had both been through, there was sure to be some after effects.

As oblivious as the brunette teen could be at times, he wasn't oblivious to the anxiety that had quickly washed over his girlfriends soft features. She was nervous, and he didn't blame her for being so. So many things could have gone wrong and could still go wrong. But he had seen the future, he had seen his healthy, little boy, alive and well. Yet, he still felt nervous. The future wasn't set in stone, so they had to play the days carefully, do what they could to make sure that the future he had witness comes into fruition.

"You okay?" He murmured, gently brushing a few of her ebony strands away from her beautiful face. A sigh passed her lips and she closed her eyes, relishing in his comforting touch.

"Yeah, I'm just a mix of emotions" she chuckled "But that's probably just the hormones kicking in"

He smiled at her attempt of humour in the tense time and placed a loving kiss on her forehead "Don't worry yourself too much, I'm sure everything will be fine. They would have told us by now if it wasn't"

"Yeah, I guess your right"

Just then, Myaxx walked in holding a medium sized device. Her face held no noticeable emotion as she approached the two soon-to-be parents.

"This device right here will give us an ultrasound of the child and will be able to detect if there are any defect present, as well as capturing the heartbeat"

Ben and Julie nodded. Pulling down the covers and exposing her stomach, Julie quickly grasped Ben's hand for comfort and support whilst Myaxx placed some small pad like devices on different parts of her stomach.

The room was silent apart from the occasional beeping from the machine that the alien scientist held as she pushed some buttons. Ben could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, the calmness he had felt before vanishing without a trace. He was so on edge that he visibly jumped when Myaxx declared the results

"Everything seems to be in perfect order Mr and Mrs Tennyson"

Both teens blushed at what had been implied. Although they both deeply loved each other, the ex-hero didn't believe that Julie was ready for such a big jump in their relationship. She had barley been able the fact they were going to have baby together.

"And I can announce you are going to be gifted with a healthy baby boy. Would you like to see the pictures?" The female scientist asked, as she continued to tap at the machines screens.

Julie couldn't believe it. She was going to have a baby boy! She had no doubt in the fact he would most probably turn out like his father, in looks and in personality. Giddiness swept over her and she couldn't keep the enormous grin of her face.

"We going to have a baby boy" she whispered and turned to face her boyfriend, tears of joy beginning to form in her eyes "Isn't that wonderful Ben? A little baby boy"

The brunette smiled lovingly down at her, tears also beginning to form "It's fantastic. He's going to be such a charmer, just like his Dad."

Myaxx handed them the device that held the photos of their baby boy. They could clearly see the little baby shaped blob that was their child. Julie couldn't help but stroke the picture lovingly

"Your not even here yet, and I already love you so much" She murmured, tears breaking free and sliding down her face.

The male teen kissed her temple, unbridled tears rolling down his honey coloured cheeks "Thank you so much, for giving me a chance to be a father" he whispered to her, voice choking on the tears.

"Ben? Julie?" a familiar voice called out from the doorway. Turning their gaze away from their little baby boy, they turned to face the redhead and Osmosian who was hovering by the doorway.

"We having a baby boy!" they announced joyfully, their smiles stretching from ear to ear.

"Congratulations!" the brunette happily replied and quickly went over to embrace his cousin. Pulling away, he looked at the two, his clover green eyes practically glowing with happiness. "Do you want to see our little baby boy?"

Even though it didn't seem possible, Gwen smile increased in size as she took in the news. "Oh my god! That's brilliant!" she squealed loudly, causing the two males to wince slightly at the pitch. Before anyone could even blink, she had rushed over to were Julie, who had an equally big smile on her face, was sat in bed. The two best-friends hugged quickly before the tennis player handed the small machine over.

"He's amazing" she breathed, as she continued to look at the photo of her unborn nephew. It was hard to believe that Mrs Yamamoto had wanted to kill of something small and beautiful without a second glance. Kevin made his way over too, wanting to see the child they had fought so hard for.

Looking over his girlfriends shoulder, he felt the his breath catch in his throat for the second time that day (Although this time he was sure it wasn't going to be followed by tears). You could clearly see the small grey silhouette that was the growing baby. Taking a closer look, he could see the small thin stumps that was it's developing arms and legs.

He couldn't help but think that this truly was a miracle child.

"He's around 18 weeks" Myaxx's voice broke through the collective silence that had settled over the group. Seemingly forgetting that the alien scientist was still standing there, the group of teens jumped in surprise.

"Would you like me to print off the photo for you? As what you would call a 'Keepsake'?"

Before anyone else had a chance to even try and answer, Ben spoke up, his smile lighting up his whole face.

"Definitely. In fact, if you wouldn't mind, could you print off a few please? I'm sure Grandpa Max and my parents are going to want to see our little man here"

Myaxx nodded, and taking the device as Gwen handed it to her, she headed out the room to go complete the request. As soon as the female scientist left the room, Ben clapped his hands together, and looked at all the occupants of the room.

"I think this calls for a celebration don't you? So, Kevin and I are going to get some stuff from Mr Smoothy's, Burger Shack and anything else you girls would like. and we are going to enjoy the wonderful news and have some much needed time off."

And that's how they spent the rest of the day. Sitting, talking and celebrating those two growing lives that have given everyone a new reason to enjoy life.

_**A/N: *This is based on something I used to do in High School. My friends and I would sit and play UNO in our form room for the whole hour of lunch. We got pretty competitive and would sit and insult each other. **_

_**Thanks again for reading. Don't forget to review, they help me improve my writing so I can give you something entertaining to read. **_

_**Sam x **_


	17. Home Is Were The Heart Is

_**A/N Hey peeps! Sam is back with a brand new chap! I have been able to write more now since the pain in my wrist has healed and the added fact I no longer have college till the new year! YAY!**_

_**Again, I would like to thank everyone who have review, alerted or favoured this fic and/or me as an author. You guys make writing so much more fun and rewarding! Hope you enjoy!**_

_**This chapter is inspired by the song 'This is Home' by Switchfoot**_

* * *

An audible sigh could be heard as Ben stared at the front porch of his childhood home. He didn't want to be here. Not now. He wanted to be at home, with Julie, making sure she was safe and well looked after. But it had seemed he didn't have a choice. Gwen, Kevin and even Julie had all ganged up on him and practically forced him to go home.

"It's for your own good" His best friend had pointed out, his tone gentle but still held that heavy authoritive tone to it.

"Ben. Your parents miss you. They believe that they are never going to see you again, that you are lost to them forever" his cousin had revealed softly, her green eyes delving deep into his guilt-ridden soul.

"Please Ben?" his ebony haired beauty had begged, her captivating hazel rings practically begging for him to understand.

He had relented then, unable to say no to her pleading request. And so now here he was. Sitting in his car that was parked out front, staring at the house that held so many happy memories for him. So why wasn't he going in?

It was mostly guilt that kept him rooted in his seat. He had forced his parents to watch their only son whither away into almost nothing because of his grief. Then he had run away, leaving them worrying and wondering if they even had a child to call a son anymore.

And now, he was going to walk up to there home, knock on the door and try and act if nothing had happened, as if he had never shattered their hearts. But reality wasn't that easy, he knew he had a lot apologizing to do. _Especially_ to his parents.

He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes for a second to gather his composure. He needed to show them he was okay and was back for good. But it was so hard to knowing that anything could happen at anytime, and he may have to leave just to be able to survive. But he hated having to lie to his parents aswell. He had learned from his mistake with the Omnitrix that keeping things a secret from them would only hurt them more.

His hand moved from were it was tightly gripping the steering wheel to come up and rub the bridge of of his nose in frustration. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Of course, if he knew the answer to that million dollar question, things may have got a little easier. But he didn't. And the daunting task he had to complete still lay in front of him.

Sometimes, he really hated life.

* * *

Dull and tired lime green eyes swept over the empty room, a shuddering sigh breathed into the still air.

It was just so hard.

It just didn't seem possible that he was gone. That he wouldn't be there to inject happiness and a slight bit of craziness to their lives. At first she had deluded herself into thinking that he was just off on one of his crazy missions with his cousin and her dark, ruffian boyfriend and would be back soon recounting how he had saved the world (or universe) once again. But as days turned to weeks and weeks into months, that wall of lies she had built to protect her delicate heart crumbled, leaving her with a desperate emptyness that she knew could never be filled.

Walking into the small, but personalised room, Sandra couldn't help the small whimper of pain that passed her lips. It was just how he had left it. His bed was unmade, and some of his dirty clothes littered the floor, along with empty smoothie cups and greasy Burger-Shack bags that at one time or another contained a tray of those chilli-fries her son seemed to adore.

His desk was a mad jumble of text-books, and assignments that he had left unfinished. The shelf above was filled with Sumo- Slammer figures (Or a waste of good plastic, as she had dubbed them) all of them in different poses and in what looked like the correct order.

But in a small patch of wall, was a jumble of what looked liked photo's tacked up with tape. Walking closer, she noticed that they were in fact photos and they were all depicting different moments from her son's hazardous life.

The first was a picture of her son and her niece at the age of 10, both had huge smiles of their faces with their fingers making the peace sign at the camera. The next was Ben at the age of 14 standing outside the annual New-York Sumo-Slammers convention, his face bright and excited as he looked at the large building. Another one was of Ben, his cousin and that boy Kevin, at Max's secret fishing rock. Kevin was ruffling her son's hair playfully whislt Gwen had her arm crosed over her bikini clad chest and was in the middle of rolling her eyes at the pair.

The last one she saw made her breath catch in her throat and her heart break just that little more. It was a picture of Ben and Julie dancing at their prom. Ben was wearing a nicely tailored tux with a green waist coat and a black tie and Julie was wearing a beautiful white floor length dress that had a cerise band around the bust and intricately threaded flower designs down the front in the same colour. The back was finished off with a corset type design that showed of her sculpted back. Her shoulder length hair had been curled, and a few strands on each side of her face had been pulled back and was held in place by a clip that held a flower the same shade of pink as her dress.

They way they were staring into each others eyes in the photo, you could tell that they could have been together forever.

A choked sob escaped her as cool, salty tears streaked down her pale face. She had lost so much in such a short time. Her son, her daughter in law, her grandchild, it was all to much to cope with. Her body shaked as sobs continued to attack her body. She didn't want this anymore, she didn't want to have to choke down the emotion she felt when anybody mentioned her son in either a good or bad way. She wanted him home, back safe and sound.

Slowly she lowered herself onto his bed, her lithe hands grabbing fistfulls of his sheets as she continued to cry over the loss of her child. She stayed there for a good 10 mintutes, letting out all the worry and pain she had been hiding. It was straing to be the hero's noble mother who never let anything get her down and always stayed strong.

When a knock sounded at the front door, Sandra jumped slightly in surprise, her light eyes widening in horror. Bolting from the bed and furiously scrubbing at her sore, red eyes to conceal the fact she had been crying, she made her way to the door.

Taking a deep breath to calm her wildly beating heart, she thrust the door open, a large, kind smile on her face.

"Hello, How can I…" She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes got a good look at who was knocking on her door.

"Ben?"

* * *

Ben let his knuckles loudly bang on the wooden door, his mind in a frenzy. What was he going to say? How would his parents react to him coming home? He began to twitch is fingers nervously as he waited for the door to be answered. He was sure they would be surprised, happy maybe? But then again they might be angry at him for running off without telling them.

He didn't get time to speculate on his own inner monologe of questions as his front door swung open.

"Hello" His mothers soft voice spoke, reminding him so much of what he had missed "How can I…" She stopped when she realised it was him standing at her front door, looking pitiful and guilty.

"Hi Mom" He said sheepishly, eyes unable to meet hers.

"Ben?" She whispered, her hand extending outwards to brush her fingers against his cheek. Looking up, the brunette almost let out a gasp of shock at his mother apperance. Her face was as white as a new layer of snow on a cool crisp winter morning. Her once bright and vibrant light green eyes that were always full of wisdom and kindness, were now dark and bloodshot from the sleepless nights and the times she cried herself to sleep. Her blonde locks hung limply by her shoulders, no sign of the usual effort she put into it. She looked skinny, skinner than he had ever seen. It was heartbreaking to see his normally stong mother looking so vunerable.

And it was all his fault…

Suddenly, Ben felt what felt like a wooden stick make contact with his skull, making him stumble pack a few paces and clutch his throbbing head

"What the? Mom!" He shouted when he saw his mother wielding a wooden walking stick, a pit of fury blazing in her eyes

"How do I know you're my son? You might be an alien trying to kidnapp me by pretending to be him to get him to come back!" She demanded, her grip on the makeshift weapon tightening.

The ex-hero stood there for a second, trying to comprehend the fact his mother had just beaten him over the head with a stick and demanded to know if he was actually her son or not. Although it made sense that she would be sceptical, especially after that whole situation with Zombozo.

"Mom, it's me, Ben. I'm being serious! I'm not an imposter I promise" he called out, attempting to convince his mother to drop the weapon.

Her eyes narrowed, inspecting the boy in front of her. He _looked_ like her son, and he acted like him aswell, but she still felt there was something _off_ about him.

"If you're my son, tell me the something that I have told him and only him. Then I will believe that you are my Ben"

Sighing, the Tennyson boy dragged up a memory from the back of his brain "When I was thirteen and we went to that fancy dinner at Uncle Franks and Aunt Lili's, you whispered to me how you thought Aunt Lili was stuck up her own arse and needed to mellow out a bit"

Ben heard a smaking sound as his mother dropped the stick, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

"It really is you" she breathed, and slowly walked towards him, her steps unsteady.

He stood there awkwardly as she advanced, unknowing on what to do. When she was close enough, one of her thin and shaking arms reached forward to cup his warm cheek. His eyes closed as he relished in the feel of his mothers touch that he had missed more than he had originally thought.

"I'm sorry mom" He whispered, his voice shaky as he desperately tried to hold in the tears. Before he ha a chance to react to anything, his mother had pulled him into a bone crushing hug and was now sobbing into his shoulder, her body shaking uncontrollably with relief and shock. He hugged her back, the tears finally breaking forth and sliding down his cheeks.

He was finally were he belonged. He was home.

* * *

Sandra excitedly danced around the kitchen making a sandwich, feeling the best she had for a while. Her little boy was home, and that gaping hole on her heart was slowly and delicately being repaired. She couldn't wait to see the look on her husbands face when he came home from work to find their son back, safe and alive.

Meanwhile, Ben was currently walking around his home, taking in the familiar sights he had missed. Reaching his room he took a look inside, it was just how he left it. An absolute tip. Walking in, he flopped down onto his unmade bed, his calloused fingers running over the fabric of his cover.

He couldn't help but let out a humoured snort. The bed he was currently lying on had once made him the happiest teen alive, and then in the space of a few months made him wish that he could turn back clock and make it never happen. It was funny how things turned out for him.

Keeping on that line of thought, he could help but think back to what had happened these past few months, what he had been through and seen. It had been horrifying to say the least, but it had also a new view on life, his life to be specific. It had showed him how fickle life was, how much family and love rank over everything else. It had been a hard and vital lesson to learn, but a lesson all the same.

But he guessed his parents had been through more. He couldn't imagine what kind of hell they had been put through the months he had been gone. Knowing what the press could do and would say to get a story would have made it even harder.

Being too deep in memories and life lessons, the teen didn't notice his mother leaning against his door frame, smiling as she watched her son.

"Honey, your sandwich is ready" she announced, startling her brunette son enough to make him jump and let out a squeak of surprise.

"Oh, I…er…thanks" he stuttered, feeling slightly embarrassed that his mum had caught him so off guard like that.

"You haven't changed one bit" she chuckled and shook her head in amusement. Ben felt his chest tighten at his mothers words "_I have changed more than you could ever know"_ he wanted to say, but held back, knowing it would cause more pain than help.

"Yeah" he chuckled back "I guess some things just don't change huh?"

Before either one could say anything else, a very masculine voice shouted out a greeting "Sandra, I'm home"

Sandra's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree at the sound, and her smile got even wider.

"Stay here" she whispered to Ben and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her, a spring in her step. A confused look washed over the teens gaunt face. What was his mother up to?

He didn't have to wait long to find out, as he heard footsteps advancing towards his room, aswell as his mother voice. Straining to hear what she was saying, he was able to pick up a few snippets

"Please Carl I…"

"Sandra, you have…the fact….gone"

"But…remember him…he was….when…son"

He couldn't make out all of what they were talking about, but he did pick up on the fact his mother sounded upset.

"_Why I she upset all of a sudden? She was ecstatic a second ago, what happened to make her so misirerable so quickly?" _he questioned to himself. A few scenario's flashed through his mind, _"Was Dad abusing her? Blaming her for me leaving?" _he shook his head of those thoughts, he knew Carl would never, ever do that. But he couldn't help but wonder.

Soon the voices were outside, and Ben sucked in a breath, trying to keep himself from being heard. Now they were outside his door, he could hear their conversation better.

"Sandra, this is ridiculous! He's gone! He's never coming back, especially not now. He's lost too much. Please, you have to let him go, it's what's best" he heard his father argue, his voice strained as if he was holding back a rush of emotions.

"Carl, just please trust me on this" his mother begged back, her voice barley above a whisper.

A sigh was heard "Fine" his father relented.

With a small 'click' sound, the wooden door opened, and in walked in the two figures of his mother and father

'Sandra, nothings changed its just th-" Carl's words were screeched to a halt when he saw a _very_ familiar figure sat on the bed, giving him a sheepish smile

"Hey Dad" the teen gave a small wave "Long time no see, huh?"

For a good minute, Ben's father just stood there a gawped at his son, unable to form a coherent sentace, or words for that matter due to utter shock.

"B-Ben?" He stuttered out, but still managed to make it sound like a jumble of vowels and consonants thrown together to make a name.

"Um, Hi?" He said awkwardly, his leg twitching in nervousness. He could already feel the blush of embarresment rising up his cheeks. Instead of saying anything else (for fear of sounding more like a bumbling idiot) Carl walked over and embraced his son. A wave of cooling relief and happiness snuffing out the roaring fire of grief that had infested his heart for so long.

"I'm so glad your back" he said as he pulled away, and shot a look to his wife, who was beaming with happiness "We both are, son"

"I am too Dad" He smiled back "I am too"

* * *

It was late at night when Ben finally made it back to his room. After the happy reunion, Sandra had cooked one of his favourite meal to celebrate, homemade chicken casserole, with dumplings and garlic bread. He'd tried his best to eat it all, but his appetite just wasn't what it was anymore, and he'd ended up leaving most part of it and skipping dessert aswell.

He had them showed them the ultra sound of Kenny, which they had cooed at and reminisced about Ben he was a baby, making him cringe from embarrassment and was glad Kevin or Julie wasn't there to witness it. They had proudly placed the photo on the fireplace, were all the other family photos were held. He had then told them about his plans with Julie and the baby, making his mother almost burst into tears again out of pride.

The teen let out a large yawn as he slipped out of his clothes and into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, leaving his well defined chest exposed to the slightly humid night air. He felt the bed creak under him as he lowed himself down onto the cool mattress. His mind couldn't help but flash back to that magical night, and how much of an affect it had on their lives.

As he settled in bed, crossing his arm under his head for more support and staring at the ceiling, his mind wondered, eradicting any chance of sleep he had once had.

So many questions were flying round his head, but one stood out from the rest _"_

"_What if Julie hadn't got pregnant? What if we never made love that night?" _

The answer to that was quite simple in his mind. He and Julie would still be fine and would be continuing their studies as school, his parents wouldn't have had to go through the tourture of thinking they had lost their son, and he would be blissfully unaware of what could happen to him.

But even so, Julie may have still been infected any how, pregnant or not. Just this time only one life was on the line instead of two. Meaning all that happened would still happen, just with the absence of their child. But if so, would Paradox still go to the lengths he did to make sure Julie lived? Or would he just leave it up to fate to sort out the whole mess?

But if so, would Julie's parents still want to pull the plug? This time around would they have more faith in their daughters recovery, instead of going straight for the nuclear option? He didn't know the answer to that question, and it was making angry just thinking about it. He still was nowhere near beginning to forgive them for their destructive and selfish actions.

Glacing at the clock on his bedside table, he noted the that it was getting close to 2 a.m, and he was still no closer to sleep when he had got into bed, what must have been at least two hours ago.

Knowing he wasn't going to get any sleep, he went back to his inner-musings. His thoughts drifted back to Julie, and what she was possibly doing right now. He guessed she was probably sprawled out on their large double bed, wrapped up in a snarl of sheets as she mumbled in her sleep. He had to chuckle at the picture his mind had created, Julie always had been a fidgety sleeper, occasionally falling out of bed and taking him down with her due to her thrashing around in her sleep.

He hoped and prayed that she was okay. He had been extremely reluctant to leave her, in fear that an enemy might try and kidnapp her in both their weakened states. But Kevin had reassured him that he had installed a high-tech and probably illegal (It was _Kevin_ after all) security system into the building. Plus he was on high alert for anything suspicious and/or dangerous. It had eased his worry slightly, but there was still that paralizing fear that something could happen in the pit of his stomach.

A soft beeping echoed round the room, causing the hero to jump slightly, brow furrowing in confusion as to who would be texting him at this hour, he lifted his head and groped around in the darkness for his phone. Finding it, he had to squint at the bright light eminating from the screen that had blinded him for second. When his vision returned to him, moments after, he felt his heart jump in his chest and the fear he felt in stomach bubble up. It was a text from Julie! But why was she texting him now? Unless something was wrong…

Shaking the gut wrenching thoughts from his mind he opened it, and was pleasantly surprised at what it read.

_Ben, get some sleep. It's two a.m. You need your rest! Me and the baby are fine, you don't need to worry. Kev has been taking good care of us, Gwen included. Enjoy your time off, you deserve it. Say Hi to your parents for me, Love you lots! _

_Jules and Kenny x x x _

Ben let out a sigh of relief and let his head flop back down onto the soft pillow. Julie was fine. Everything was fine. He smiled, His girlfriend knew him too well to know he would just simply fall asleep.

He let out another yawn as his eyes began to droop. He couldn't help but think one last thought before he slipped into some much needed rest

God he loved that girl.

* * *

_**A/N Well there you go! Hope you all enjoyed! don't forget to review!**_

_**P.S Seeing this is probably the last time I update until the New Year, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope every single one of you get everything you wish for and have fun in the holidays! **_

_**See you next year! **_

_**Sam x **_


	18. Looking Into The Past

_**A/N: This was a little later than intended, because my laptop decided to break on me, leaving me a week without being able to write anything, stupid technology *eye twitches (But not the left one :D)* **_

_**Thank you to every single one of you who have reviewed, alerted or favoured this fic. This is dedicated to all of you that took your time to read my story. **_

_**Also, just a quick review on the new Ben 10 Galactic Racing game I got for Christmas, it really Is worth getting. There are so many karts and character to choose from, plus the hilarious one-liners they have put in there made me fall off my chair laughing! Here's a few of my favourites**_

_**Ben: Saviour of the Universe…Loser of the race**_

_**Rath: Lemme' tell you something Rainbow Omni-node specifically designed to block my vision! RATH DOES NOT LIKE BEING BLIND!**_

_**Kevin: You taste that? That's the taste of my dust! **_

_**Ben: Annoying…but colourful! **_

_**Ben: And this is me, passing you. **_

_**Disclaimer: Do you know what? Screw this! Do what the hell you like MOA, I don't give a flying damn anymore. (Just, please don't sue me)**_

* * *

A faint sliver of sunlight that peeked through the curtains washed over the figure of the sleeping boy. A few grumpy mumbles could be heard as he dug his head deeper into the covers to try and block out the glare of the morning sun. Standing by the door, Sandra couldn't help shake her head in amusement at her son. He may have gotten older, but he still definitely wasn't a morning person.

She had been there for quite a while, just watching him sleep. She, herself hadn't had much sleep, too afraid that this was all a dream and if she feel asleep she would wake up and be back to being without a son. She had checked on him several times during the night, just to reassure herself that he was fine and really was back in their lives to stay.

Being extremely quiet, she tiptoed across the room, over to the window and closed the curtains. A noise of appreciation came from the lump under the sheets, causing Sandra to giggle slightly at her son. Being carefully to not wake him up, she sat herself next to him on the bed. Gently, she began to soothingly massage his scalp. It was something she used to do when he was only young, and used to suffer from nightmares.

She missed times like these. Ever since he had come back of that trip with his Grandpa Max, he had begun to grow up so fast. She guessed it was due to having to fight for his life on almost a daily basis and seeing thing no-one could even begin to try and imagine. And, although she was proud of his for being so selfless and heroic, she missed her innocent little boy that enjoyed nothing more than being tucked into bed every night.

And then before she knew it he was 16, old enough to drive and a public superhero to all. She barely saw him anymore, and even when she did he seemed tired and tended to just go straight to bed. He was a wonderful son, and she wouldn't ever want him to change. But she just wished that she had been able to have more time with him before he grew up and no longer needed her to protect him, and instead have him protecting her.

It was selfish to think so, but she couldn't help the small part of her that wished he hadn't become a hero. The device he had found had pulled him away from her, made him independent at such a young age. He no longer needed her to show him wrong from right, what it was like to help people. He had learned it all himself, and made her miss out on all the moments parents should spend with their children.

Looking at him, she felt pride swell in her chest, but also a twinge of pain and loss. He had come so far, he had grown so much. He wasn't a little boy anymore, he wasn't even a teen. He was a man, a father, a lover and most importantly, a hero . He was everything little boys dreamt of being. But he was also haunted, haunted by the mistakes he had made, the people and aliens he hadn't been able to save. He doubted his actions, his morals, himself.

She worried about him so much. She worried that one day, she would get a phone call from her niece or father-in-law telling her that her son had gone down fighting, doing what he did best. Worried that he would run himself ragged trying to live up to the enormous expectations people thrust onto his shoulders. He was still only young, he had his whole life ahead of him, a family that adored him. She would be devastated if that was all destroyed because some two-bit alien criminal decided he was going to try his luck with the law.

She always believed in letting a child learn by themselves, see life first hand. But there was that maternal part of her that wanted nothing more than to wrap him in cotton wool, put him in a bubble and make sure nothing could hurt her baby. But she couldn't, no matter how much she wanted to.

She was slowly and painfully losing her little boy to life, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

The figure beside her began to stir from his slumber, jolting the woman out of her musings. A low grunt came from him when Sandra stop massaging his scalp, smiling she resumed running her fingers lovingly through his hair.

She guessed as she sat there, soothingly watching her son sleep, that she couldn't stop the inevitable from happening, but she could enjoy the little time she got to spend with him. She always had her memories, and with her grandson on the way, she always had another little boy to spoil.

Moving his bangs from his forehead, she placed a soft motherly kiss on top of his forehead. Silently getting up, she began to exit the room, a small smile on her face. Once at the door, she took one more look at the sleeping form of her son, safe in the knowledge that, although he was growing up, she still had plenty chances to enjoy time with him and her new family member.

* * *

It wasn't long after his mother had left the room that Ben woke from his slumber, feeling slightly more rested than before. He still felt tired through, all those sleepless nights worrying were crashing down onto him with great force, making it hard for him to keep his eyes open.

Letting out a large yawn, and rubbing the sleep from his tired apple green eyes, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, enjoying the feeling of the soft carpet between his toes. Shakily standing up, he stretched his sore muscles and headed into his en-suite bathroom.

Turning on the shower and waiting for to heat up for a minute or two, he stripped out of his clothes and stepped under the hot water. He let out a sigh of relief as the hot water cascaded down his body, easing the ache in his muscles and relaxing the pent up nerves and frustrations he kept bottled up.

Bending down, he reached for the shampoo bottle in the corner of the shower cubicle. Once he grabbed it, and moved back up to a standing position, his gaze caught the tops of his thighs. Memories flooded back as he inspected his skin that was littered with thin, pale, scars that marred the limb.

It took him back to the time he had hit rock bottom, when he resulted to his last resort to make himself try and feel better about his life. For weeks he had taken a razor blade to the skin on his thighs, watching as the crimson blood oozed from the wound and dripped down his leg, taking his pain with it. That was, until Kevin found out…

_The blade easily sliced across the taunt, pale skin, a rush of sticky crimson blood accompanying it. A grimace crossed his face as the stinging pain set in. He watched with dull interest as the blood trickled down his thigh, mingling with the other gashes he had created, before dripping down onto the carpet below, staining it a deep red. _

_With another swift movement of his wrist, another cut was made, but deeper this time. Blood oozed from the wound, making more spots appear on the carpet. His body shivered in both pain and release. _

_He just didn't care anymore. He was a outcast, a jerk, a boy way in over his head. His friends didn't want to know him anymore, he and Julie had broken up after having a massive argument in the middle of Mr Smoothy's, causing the press to swarm him. His parents, well his parents were blissfully unaware of his emotional turmoil. Just like they were unaware that at the age of 15 he was running around kicking alien butt and risking his life. _

_Was it even possible to feel so dead inside, but still be so alive?_

_He continued to watch the blood drip onto the carpet, his dull, emotionless eyes uncaring. He was too busy wrapped up in the sight of his own self mutilation to realise someone was heading towards his room till it was too late._

"_Ben, come on we got a…What the hell Tennyson!" Kevin shouted out as he walked in on the sight of a shivering and bleeding Ben. Rushing over he began to inspect the wounds_

"_Shit, you're bleeding pretty bad." He mumbled, and looked around to see if there was something he could use to stem the bleeding. That's when he spotted the bloody razor blade that was still clutched in the boys shaking hand _

"_Ben? Did you do this to yourself?" He asked, looking into the boys eyes to spot if he was lying. But the only thing he could see was a swirling pit of loneliness, pain, and self-doubt. He knew the answer to his question then. He HAD done it himself, as an attempt to ease the pain. _

_A sigh escaped the older males lips and he quickly rushed to the bathroom to get some first-aid stuff to wrap up the wounds and stop the bleeding. As he fumbled around in the cupboard, grabbing swabs and the antiseptic, his mind was in a jumble about what he was supposed to do. Did he leave him and hope he stopped? Did he tell Gwen and let her deal with it? Did he himself try and talk him out of it? There were so many ways he could deal with this, but he had to be smart. Outing him to his cousin and parents could cause him to turn worse, but then so would leaving him. _

_He let out an annoyed growl. Nothing was ever easy for him, was it?_

_While the Osmosian was muttering to himself in the bathroom, Ben sat deathly still on his bed. The stinging pain in his legs was now a dull tingle compared to the screaming going on inside his brain. How could he have been so stupid! He knew Kevin was going to come pick him up today, and he still decided to do it. Now he was probably going to tell Gwen, who would want to make him go to therapy and sort it out. They would constantly be watching him, asking him how he was, then there was the pity. God, how he hated the look of pity his cousin would shoot him when something bad happened. It made him feel like a child who needed watching all the time and wasn't able to handle anything, and would break down every time at the smallest of things. _

_She didn't know what it was like, no matter how much she tried to understand. She had a perfect life, a perfect boyfriend. She was a top student, a person everyone adored and thought the best of. Her powers came naturally, she didn't have to rely on a stupid device that didn't work half the time. She didn't have people constantly doubting her, making her feel like she wasn't worth anything, that no matter what she did, she was just a person trying to fill a pair of shoes that she had no hope of ever filling. _

_No-one could ever know what it was like to be in his overly large shoes. He thought he had got close when he had met Simian, but that had just turned into a double-cross, leaving him feeling more alone than he had before. So many people tried to sympathize with him, and the ones who didn't sympathize with him judged him, calling him a 'menace'. But did they truly know what it was like to see people and aliens alike, fall before you because of one mis-calculation, one falter in your movements? Did they know he sat almost every night plagued by what if's, haunted by the faces of the innocent people he couldn't save? Did they even realise that at one point the had almost had to sacrifice his own best-friend and cousin to keep the world safe? _

_The teen was so distracted, he didn't acknowledge his best friend returning from the bathroom, arms full of medical supplies. Setting the various items between the unusually quiet boy, Kevin got to work on patching up his bleeding limbs. _

"_Ben, I know you are probably goin' to say no, and possibly scream you throat raw at me for even suggesting such a thing, but I think you need to talk to someone" he suggested gently, watching out the corner of his eye for the boy reaction and if he should duck out of the way or not. _

_But Ben stayed quiet, his unfocused green eyes continuing to look at the floor distractedly. _

_Sighing, and knowing the boy was too far away in his own world to even try and respond, he grabbed some antiseptic and a cotton swab and began gently dabbing away the blood. _

_The brunette didn't notice at first, but as soon as the antiseptic hit his open cuts, a burning stinging sensation overrode his nerves, making his grit his teeth and let out a cry of pain. _

_Not expecting such a reaction, the dark haired teen jumped about 5 foot in the air, chucking the cotton swab he had been dabbing Ben's leg with half way across the room in shock. _

"_Damn it Tennyson!" Kevin growled, clutching his chest in an attempt to calm his wildly beating heart. "Don't do that!" _

_The boy mumbled a small apology and Kevin once again began patching him up. Looking at the wounds, the older male could tell this wasn't the first time the boy had brought a razor to his flesh. Older, fainter scars could be seen, some were covered up by the new bleeding cuts, but they were still noticeable. How long had Ben been doing this? How had he and Gwen not noticed before? _

_It didn't take much longer to wipe up the rest of the blood, with only a few hisses of pain from Ben. Kevin the proceeded to wrap both his legs up in bandages, making sure they were tight so no blood would seep through. Satisfied with his work, the Osmosian packed up the kit and got up to return it to the bathroom_

"_Hey Kev?" A timid, hoarse voice called out, breaking the eerie and awkward silence that inhabited the room like an unwanted poltergeist. The older male stopped for a second, not wanting to turn round in case he flew off the handle at the boy for being so stupid and ignorant of the fact people were here to help him and he didn't need to resort to self mutilation to solve his problems _

"_Thanks" _

_Kevin didn't reply, he just raised his hand in acknowledgement and went inside the bathroom. _

_Ben sighed and ran an nervous hand through his hair. That couldn't have been anymore awkward if he tried. His once mortal enemy, now turned friend had just witnessed him at his lowest of lows, and had had to sit there and bandage him up so he wouldn't bleed to death because of his own ignorant stupidity. Plus, now his cousin was going to get involved, as well as his parents, and most probably the school. If it got out he was self mutilating, then Julie would hear about it, ruining the very small and fragile chance he had of ever getting back together with her. Because lets face it, who would want a self-harming, hero boyfriend that had so may insecurities that it was a wonder how he managed to function properly in society without going bat shit insane every 5 minutes or so. _

_His gaze flicked to the small sliver of metal that had caused him more suffering than before. His eyes travelled down the length of the blood encrusted blade, that even in the small amount of sunlight that made it way into his room seemed to glimmer, tempting him, making it seem like it was the way out of his problems. _

_But it wasn't. It was evil, making him do things he would never normally do, ruining things that had nothing to do with the predicament he had put himself in. It was his own fault Julie dumped him, he was too self absorbed, to egotistical and uncaring about their relationship. It was no wonder she left, he put so much strain on their relationship that he was shocked that it lasted this long. Hurting himself wasn't going to make it better, it wasn't going to make it go away or magically make them get back together. He had to do it, he had to go out there and make it happen. This…this…this thing in his hand was just making him delude his mind into a sense of relief, into a sense of control. But in-fact, he was just getting worse and worse and worse every time that blade touched his skin, every time it made blood ooze from the wounds it inflicted. _

_In a fit of anger he threw the blade to the other side of the room. No, he wasn't going to let it control his life anymore. He was in control now, like he should have always been. He was going to make things right himself, like he should have done from the beginning. _

_He could do this. _

_Just then Kevin entered the room again, his face a stony mask, his voice equally hard. _

"_You ready Tennyson? We were supposed to meet Gwen at Mr Smoothy's 10 minutes ago. So get some pants on and get your arse in the car. I gotta speak to Gwen" _

_Ben's stomach dropped at the mention of his cousin. Yes, the awkward moment was about to get even more awkward. He smiled at the teen, a proper smile, not a half assed attempt. _

"_Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a sec" _

_With that the older male left the room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he couldn't help but smile too. Turns out, he didn't need to talk to him at all, the boy was smart enough to see the error of his ways and hopefully be dig himself out the deep hole he had fallen in. _

Letting the water wash away the shampoo, he also allowed his mind to wash away the memory. He refused to go back there, he refused to be dragged back to the brink of darkness. He couldn't, not now. He could never do that to Julie and baby Kenny. They meant more to him than some stupid razor, he had almost lost them once because of his sheer stupidity, he wasn't going to let that happen again.

Turning off the water, he stepped out the shower and proceeded to get himself dry and dressed.

He exited his bathroom in a waft of steam, a smile on his face and walked over to his bedside table were his phone lay. Picking up the slim, green technology, he checked to see if anyone had tried to get in contact with him since he went for a shower.

"Ben Tennyson" A familiar and gruff voice called out, startling the boy and causing to let out a high pitched squeal and drop his phone. Spinning round, the Tennyson boy couldn't see anyone, but then were had that voice come from?

"Um…Hello?" he questioned to what seemed an empty room, his eyes darting around for any sign of sudden movement.

"Down here you buffoon!"

Looking down, he was met with the sight of the Creator of the Ultimatrix (and Omnitrix) looking extremely annoyed.

"Azmuth? What are you doing here?" He questioned to the little alien, who only ever came in extreme circumstances (I.e. if the Ultimatrix was in danger) but seeing as he had the Ultimatrix he had no real reason to be there, and he wasn't the type to pop in for a friendly chat and a cup Jo,

"I have come to give this" The Ultimatrix appeared in hands "Back to you. I feel you are once again ready to wield my device"

Ben bent down and took the device from the small alien. This device he was holding had made him the most feared and powerful person in the universe. Thanks to it, he was legendary everywhere, there wasn't anywhere in the whole galaxy that he wasn't known as the great Ben 10, defeater of Vilgax and the Highbreed, as well as Aggregor.

But it was also thanks to this device he now held that he held he had almost lost his best friend, and in turn in cousin. It had put his relationship with Julie on the rocks so many times, it caused him to be dubbed a menace by almost every adult in the world.

He handed the device back to Azmuth and stood up, his voice serious as he addressed the scientist.

"I don't want it back Azmuth. I don't want to be a hero anymore"

A small smirk made it way onto his lips when he saw surprise flitter across his alien features, but as soon as it was there it was gone and replaced with his own seriousness.

"You think you can just give this up Tennyson? Do you think you can just give up being a hero because you don't want to do it anymore? That's not how it works! You picked this life, now you must finish it" He roared at the teen, his little arms waving around enthusiastically as he tried to emphasize is point.

Ben felt anger pulse through his veins at the small alien. He had once showed him what happens when you don't think about the consequences of his actions, and now that he had, he was STILL having a go at him.

"I am not going to put my family's life in danger anymore Azmuth! I have a child on the way, I cant just keep running off to go fight aliens anymore. Family is more important now, not the watch and not being a hero. You once told me to think about the consequences of my actions, and now I am. If I put that watch again, my family is constantly going to be in danger. I almost lost Julie once because of that stupid watch and I'm not letting it happen again. What happens if one day I don't come back? What's she going to do then? She is going to have to be a young single mother trying to fight off powerful aliens whilst trying to simultaneously raise her son. I not going to let that happen. So take your watch, I don't want it. But if I absolutely have to I will put it on, but apart from that, I want nothing to do with aliens and the Plumbers anymore" His tone was final, and the look in his green eyes dared the little alien to try and argue further.

Instead of arguing, Azmuth sighed and closed his eyes for a second, before staring Ben straight in the eyes.

"You, Ben Tennyson, have grown so much since a teenager, your brashness and immaturity as well as your ego were all major flaws in your personality. But now, you are shaping up to be a true hero. With or without the watch. I will leave it here with you, in-case of such an emergency, that you are forced to put it on again. I wish you the best of luck in everything you do." And in a flash of light he was gone. Leaving a stunned teen gaping at were he once stood.

"What the-" he stuttered, looking around the room as if a camera crew were going to pop out and scream "YOU'VE BEEN PUNKED!"

Shaking his head and muttering how weird this day has been, he picked up the Ultimatrix and placed it in his special hiding place. Before heading downstairs, still slightly confused at what had happened.

* * *

Julie let out a grunt of annoyance as she walked through the medium sized apartment she called home. It was midday and she had only just gotten up, her body deciding that now she was pregnant, she needed more sleep than normal people. She hadn't slept that well anyway, worry over her boyfriend and the constant need to pee every 5 minutes being main factors in her sleep deprivation.

"Ship?" a small voice from her shoulder chirped questioningly. Sighing the ebony haired girl turned her head slightly to face her pet Galvantic Mechamorph. "I'm fine Ship, I promise"

The creature let out a chirp of happiness and snuggled into her cheek, causing her to giggle slightly and affectionately scratch the top of his head. Ever since she had come home from the Plumber hospital, Ship had refused to leave her side, going everywhere with her, in either back pack form or just being his blobby self. And although the tennis player found it sweet that her pet deeply cared about her, it was a bit ridiculous that she could even go to the bathroom without her pet wanting to be by her side.

Kevin had attempted to take the pet away, just to give the girl a bit of space for a change. But Ship had taken it the wrong way, thinking the Osmosian was trying to take him away forever and had turned into a smaller version of his battleship, guns and all and began to chase the poor boy round the house.

Kevin, fearing he was going to get blown to bits by the pet, and not having anything remotely strong to absorb, let out a very (not girly at ALL!) shriek and ran as fast as he could to get away, falling arse-over-tit a few times as he attempted to dodge getting a laser to the butt from the enraged Mechamorph.

She and Gwen did attempt to help, but watching Kevin being chased around was just too funny and they ended up clinging to each other as they cackled like a pair of old ladies. It was all they could do to keep upright when Kevin screamed out "THIS ISN'T FUNNY! JULIE MAKE HIM STOP!"

They finally broke when the dark haired teen got blasted in the butt, scorching through his jeans. Satisfied that he had proved his point, the green and black blob happily hopped back to his owner, curling round her shoulders and letting out a indignant "Ship" leaving the Osmosian sprawled out face-first on the floor, his jeans still slightly smoking from the blast.

Ever since then, Kevin always glared at the blob and vice-versa. And if he got to close to Julie, Ship would let out a warning growl, making the teen jump back and continue to glare at the creature who had chased him. The ebony-haired girl only wished she had recorded the moment, Ben would have loved to see the Osmosian being chased around.

Walking into the kitchen, Julie let out a squeal of surprise when she spotted a bouquet of white lilies, her favourite flowers, sat on the work surface. Rushing over, she picked up the delicate flowers, inhaling their wonderful scent. Spotting a card also laying on the counter, she gently placed the flowers back down and proceeded to open the card.

Inside was a note written in Ben's signature messy handwriting.

_To my beautiful Jules _

_I hope you like the flowers, and I hope they bring a smile to your flawless face. I want to thank you, for putting up with my unusual quirks, and my even more unusual family. You and Kenny are truly everything I could ever wish for and more. _

_Meet me at the park later, I need to talk to you. It's important._

_I love you both with everything I've got. _

_Ben x x _

A broad grin spread its self across her face, wiping away that annoyed look she had been sporting before. What did she do to get such a caring and sweet boyfriend, she didn't know.

But one thing that did niggle at the back of her mind, what did Ben want to talk about? It seemed pretty serious by the sound of it. She shrugged, no point getting worked up about it, she would find out later. Once again picking up the flowers, she grabbed the empty vase off the shelf and placed the lilies inside before walking into the living room and putting them on the small table.

Taking a look at the flowers one last time, she headed back towards her bedroom to get ready for her date at the park. Little did she know, Ben was about to drop a bombshell on her she never expected, not in a million years.

* * *

_**A/N Another chapter like this one coming up. Sorry, I know they seem like fillers, but they are really important to the story I promise! Oh! One out of our 2 baddies comes in next chapter, and if you're really lucky, they both will!**_

_**Don't forget to review! They really make me smile :D **_

_**Sam x **_


	19. Maybe it Wasnt Meant to Be

_**A/N Okay, I'm really, really sorry for the extremely late update. I haven't been well recently and my laptops charger broke on me so I was stuck for like two weeks without being able to type up anything. So I went old school and wrote down everything. But, I do have like 3 new one-shot things coming up as well so not all is lost. **_

_**Thanks to **__**chloemcg**__** for all the lovely messages she sent me which spurred me on to finish this chapter. And a very very VERY special thanks to ETNRL4L who helped me through a tough patch and has treated me like one of her own. **_

_**Also, just watched Enemy Of My Frenemy. That episode creeped me out BIG time. When they die and are just sat there wide eyed, that sent a shiver down my spine. But I really enjoyed it apart from that bit. And Inspector #13 just had me in stitches the whole way through! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10. But I swear I own half of Bandai, I have like over 50 figures as well as both the cars, games and DVD's. I'm kinda like a Ben 10 horder O.O **_

* * *

For a bright, warm, mid-Saturday afternoon, Bellwood Park was surprisingly empty. Not that Ben was complaining, the less people who saw him with Julie, the less chance of anything being leaked to the public. It was already hard enough for them without everyone finding about the pregnancy. He was pretty sure that when people found out about that, his negativity rating would shoot through the roof. Not only would he be dubbed as a menace, he would be known as a player, knocking up girls for fun. Then there were the comments on Julie. Her professional career as a tennis player would be toast, along with any chance she had of getting into college. He was hoping after Kenny was born, she would be able to carry on with her education while he took care of the baby.

He didn't mind staying home looking after Kenny, just as long as Julie was able to carry on with what she was destined to do. It would kill him to sit and have to watch her waste her enormous talent, and ruin the amazing chances she had. She deserved to do what she wanted, especially after all the crap he had put her through. Plus, he and college didn't really mix. He had only barely passed through high school, and even then he had Julie to help him.

He let out a deep sigh to try and calm his wildly beating heart and checked his (real) watch for the time. Seeing he still had a good few minutes of waiting till Julie showed up, he resumed his nervous twitching. He hadn't been this twitchy for a long while, but with all the stress he had been through, the habit had been re-triggered- much to his his ADHD to the mix, made him one very fidgety teen.

Soon the twitching and nervousness got too much to handle sitting down, so he began pacing in-front of the bench. He would occasionally run his hand through his hair in aggravation, and mutter a few words to himself. He was pretty sure that the people around him thought he was some kind of nutter, but couldn't bring himself to care.

He was so nervous, he almost jumped 5 feet in the air when he felt a small warm hand interlace their fingers with his and give them a small squeeze in greeting. Spinning around, he came face to face with Julie. She had a bright smile on her face, making her eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Even though she was only wearing a simple pair of low cut white skinny jeans and one of his hoodies to hide the ever growing baby bump, she looked as radiant as she did on their prom night.

"Hey sorry I'm late, had some trouble getting the moped started, and then there was the traffic…" She rambled, waving her free hand around slightly to emphasize her words. The teen just smiled down at her as she continued to ramble on about the reasons she was late. He couldn't believe he had almost lost her. She was everything he could ever need or want. After all these years, he still hadn't wrapped his head around why the fact that beautiful and intelligent girls like Julie would ever want to be with a guy like him. But, he was always told never to dwell on the good things in life, so he wasn't going too.

Bringing his free hand up, he began to twirl a few of her dark strands round his finger. He watched as the sunlight highlighted the deep tones of browns and blacks that made his favourite shade of ebony. Letting her hair fall back down, he began to trace her soft jaw line, memorizing the small dips and curves that made up her beautiful face. Reaching her chin, he tilted her head up so he could capture her lips in a soft yet passionate kiss.

She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms round his neck and tangling her slim fingers into his dyed locks. He, in turn, wound a chiselled arm around her waist drawing her as close as he could. With his free hand, he cupped her cheek, rubbing small circles on her flawless alabaster skin.

The world melted away as the two stood there locked in a passionate embrace. But soon the need for air drove the pair to part, their chest heaving as they took in the air they so desperately needed. Resting his forehead against her own, he opened his eyes to stare into her captivating hazel ones. He knew he would never tire of the way she made his heart race just by simply looking at him.

"I love you" he breathed to her, tracing random shapes on her skin. Shuddering at his soft touch, she smiled up at him "I love you too, so much. I just know you are going to be an amazing father." He smiled back, drinking in the sight of her beautiful face before replying.

"Well, I know one thing for sure. With my stunning looks and personality, plus his mothers' patience and smarts, he's going to be such a charmer"

Once the words had left his lips, Julie couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend "Stunning looks and Personality? Who has been feeding you lies?" She questioned, trying to stem the giggles that escaped her mouth. The brunette pouted at his girlfriend "I thought they were my more endearing qualities." He whimpered. The tennis player shook her head slightly and her boyfriend's obvious attempt to get some sympathy out her.

"Aww" she cooed at him, deciding to play along with his little game "They are honey, it's just not everyone agrees" she tried to keep the grim off her face, she really did. But it was so hard with the face he was pulling.

Seeing his girlfriend was just playing a little joke with him, he pulled away and turned his back on her with a loud huff. The ebony haired girl just rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's immature behaviour. But soon she began to hear what sounded like sniffling come from the boy in front of her. Fearing she had actually hurt his feelings, she took a step forward to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Ben, are you okay?" she tentatively questioned. When she got a choked sob as a reply, guilt immediately began to pool at the bottom of her stomach. "Ben, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it" she began to apologize, but was cut short when he spun round on his heel with a massive grin on his face and scooped her up bridal style. She let out a squeak of surprise as he spun them round, chuckling loudly all the way. Unable to hold it back anymore, she began to giggle as well, enjoying the feel of the wind flowing through her hair and the sound of Ben's jovial laughter.

After about a minute he slowed down as dizziness began to set in. Gently setting the still giggling Julie down onto the floor, he placed a feather soft kiss to her nose.

"What was that for?" She questioned breathlessly, her cheeks slightly flushed from all the laughing. The brunette shrugged and shot her a heart-melting grin "Dunno, just felt like it". The ebony haired girl just shook her head in amusement at the boy "You really are something, y'know that?"

"Why of course" he replied cockily and struck what he thought was a heroic pose "For, I am the great Ben 10, Saviour of the Universe"

"You mean the great Ben 10 who screams like a little girl when there is a spider in the shower and has to get his non-super powered girlfriend to come catch it while his is huddled up as far away from it as he can get? That great Ben 10?"

The brunette sent the girl a playful glare "Touché" he replied, annoyed that his girlfriend had popped his heroic bubble.

"Anyway" He said, trying to get back onto the subject of why they were here and avoid having his arse handed to him by his girlfriend. "I asked you here for two reasons: One, I missed you and really wanted to see you and two, I need to tell you something important" taking a deep breath to drown out his steadily rising nerves, he began his tale.

"Okay, when you were in Acoma" His eyes darkened as he remembered those awful days "I become somewhat insane" Seeing his girlfriends eyes widen in horror, he quickly began to explain himself "No, I don't mean, insane, insane like when Kevin was mutated, I mean I was just not thinking straight" it was only after those word had left his lips did he realize it didn't make him sound any better. Thankfully, Julie got the gist of what he was trying to say, and motioned for him to carry on.

"Yeah, well anyway, Azmuth believed that until you woke up that I wasn't mentally fit enough to wear the watch anymore so he took it off me. At first I thought that I would no longer be able to be a hero anymore, wouldn't be able to for fill the great destiny I had ahead of me. But Paradox, he showed me things that made me drastically re-think everything. So, when you woke up, I guess that Azmuth thought I was one again fit enough to wear the Ultimatrix."

"So, he gave you back the watch?" She interjected, feeling she knew the end of his story. Ben swallowed thickly and felt his fingers begin to twitch again. "Urm… No, not exactly"

Julie's eyes narrowed at him, making him squirm under her penetrating gaze. "What do you mean 'No, not exactly'?" she questioned, a hidden meaning laced in her tone. The brunette began to panic "Well, you see, he came to see this morning to give it back to me because he thought I was ready, but I told him I didn't want it anymore" He rushed out, hoping his girlfriend didn't beat him up for being an idiot (That was Kevin's job)

"Jules, that thing has done nothing but tear us apart. Over and over again I have been dragged away from you because I'm the one who wears that watch. What happens if one day I get called away and you and Kenny get attacked?

"I have Ship, he ca-"She tried to argue but was cut off by Ben.

"Ship can only do so much, plus he can be shorted out so easily. Jules, I was seconds away from losing the both of you once and that damned well nearly killed me. I don't want that to ever to be an option. You and Kenny mean more to me than some stupid watch. When I found out we were going to have this baby together, I promised myself and you that I would be here to support you every step of the way and I can't do that if I have to keep leaving to go off and fight aliens. I don't give a crap about my destiny to be Ben 10,000 hero of heroes; it's not worth losing everything I hold dear to me."

He looked deep into her eyes, begging her to understand. This wasn't about not wanting to be in the lime light anymore, or because he didn't want to have the burden of protecting the universe on his shoulders. This was about them, their family. He wanted to be the best father and boyfriend he could be to her and their son, for Julie not to have to worry about if her boyfriend would come home in one piece, or come home at all.

From day 1 of their relationship he had always had to run off, leaving her alone while he went to fight aliens. She may have told him that she understood and was proud of what he was doing and the hero he was becoming, but he never missed the hurt and dissapointment that would flicker behind her dark hazel eyes. Everytime the words "I have to go" left his lips he felt his heart tear in two at the broken look on her face and the withering smile she would give him to try and reassure him that she would be fine. Julie always had been a strong girl and was able to hide her feelings well, but even she couldn't hide the cracks in the façade she put on to hide the pain.

He wouldn't keep putting her through that anymore. No more excuses, no more running from their problems and trying to pretend that they weren't on the brink. He needed to show her that he was in this for the long run, that they meant more to him than the watch or anything else in the whole universe.

As she kept her boyfriends unwavering, pleading gaze, Julie could clearly see what he was trying to do. He was trying to prove to her how much he really did love her, that he was going to give their relationship and family his all. He was showing her that he was willing to give up everything to make them work, to make sure she knew how much they really were worth. But she wasn't going to sit back and watch him throw away everything he had litterally given his blood, sweat and tears for, to prove to her something she already knew with every beat of her heart.

"Ben, listen to me. I know what you are trying to do and I can tell you now I'm not going to let you do it. You think giving up the watch is just going to magically fix our problems? Make everything go away so we can live happily ever after? Well I'm sorry to have to break to to you, but stuff like that only happens in the movies and if you don't remember this is real life. It's harsh and unforgiving, but we get through with hard work and compromise."

"Those 5 years you got off when you were ten were based on pure luck and the fact your enemies didn't know much about you to be able to plan an attack. It's not going to be that simple a second time around, that I can can promise you. Thanks to your universal fame as the great Ben 10, your enemies know practically everything about you. Were you live, go to school, who you hang out with. I'm pretty sure they even know how many times you pee! You take off the Ultimatrix now, that's going to be like painting a big target on your head and screaming "come and get me boys!" at the top of your lungs for everyone to hear"

"You want to show me you care? That you want to keep us safe and make sure we know we are worth more than anything? That prove to us that you can carry on being the hero, that us and the universe know that you are. Keep protecting us from the criminals that attack our world for their own benefit. Give your son a reason to go "That's my Daddy, he's our hero! And I wanna be just like him!". I knew when we started dating that this wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but it's worth it because at the end of the end of the day I get to be with the greatest man the world has ever seen. I get the great honour of knowing that the great Ben 10 is all mine and nothing will ever be able to change that."

He broke their gaze and turned his head away, guilt once again swirling around his gut and crushing his heart with it's iron grip.

"Julie how can you say that? I hurt you! I made you feel second best for so long! I put you in danger so many times! One of those times you were close to not making it back. Instead of facing our problems I ran away and hid under a mask of arrogance, pushing you further and further away. It took us breaking up for me to realise that I was such a foolish jerk and really was nothing without you by my side. You deserve more than I could ever provide, hero or not. Do you really want to live like that for the rest of your life!"

The ebony haired girl felt her anger rising at her oblivious boyfriend. "Yes! I do! Because it means I get to live with you! As a family! I get to spend the rest of my life with my hero! I love you Ben, why can't you see that? I don't care what it takes, I want to be with you!" She practically screamed at him, eyes brimming with tears.

He turned to face her again, his eyes burning with fury. He couldn't understand why she just wouldn't listen!

"You almost died Julie! Died! As in never coming back! Gone for eternity! And it was all my fault! How many times is that going to happen for you to realise that I'm just a magnet for trouble? What happens if one day our luck runs out and this time you don't get back up again! I won't- I can't let that happen! Everytime you get hurt, its always my fault! And it kills me to know I am the one who is causing you to get hurt! Don't you see? You're better of without me dragging you into trouble!" he shouted back at her, his temper getting the better of him.

Julie wasn't stupid. She knew what he was hinting at. She just never thought he would be so callous as to break away from her, even after the years they had been together.

Tears broke free of her lashes and rolled down her face, the painful truth settling in her stomach like stone.

"So that's it? You're just going to push me away? That's how you going to show me that you care? Just because I've gotten hurt a few times you're going to throw away everything we ever worked for?"

When he didn't reply and looked away from her, she knew what his answer was.

" If this is what you want then so be it, Kenny and I will stay away. I just thought you, of all people, was better than this."

She didn't say anymore, there was no need to. He had shown her what he wanted and she was going to uphold his wishes. No matter how much it hurt her to do so. Walking away, she felt her heart shatter in her chest as she hugged her growing baby bump. She guessed it was just the two of them from now on, since the boy she thought loved her now wanted nothing to do with her.

Turns out her Knight in shining armour was really just a jerk in tin foil. Figures.

* * *

He watched her as she left, his heart crying for him to run after her and tell her he didn't mean it and he really did want them in his life. But his mind was the one stopping him. She deserved better than he could ever give either of them. On her own she could raise Kenny properly. She would be able to give him the life he deserved instead of having to explain to him why his daddy couldn't be there for him.

He turned away from her reatreating figure, his head hung low as he began to cry. It may have been what was best, but it didn't stop it hurting any less.

* * *

_**A/N: I know, I know. More drama. But I started typing what I originally wanted and I just sounded TOO soppy and cliché so in the end my brain was like WRITE THIS! So I did. And yes I know I said the villians would come in this chapter, but if I put them in the chapter would have been too long and I wanted to break it up. **_

_**Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review! **_

_**Sam x **_


	20. The Spy

_**A/N: Here we go, the promised chapter! Well kind of. It's not were we find out if Benji realises what an idiot he has been. That's next time. But we do see a bit more of our mysterious villains.**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to all those people who take their time to read my story and all those who have helped me through the years. You guys are always the ones to put a smile on my face. And a special shout out to my very good friend ETNRL4L, I wish you all the best! And will do my best to get the next chapter up as quickly as possible for you **__**:)**_

_**Disclaimer: Seriously?**_

* * *

In a more secluded part of the park, a sinister figure lurked. His movements were swift and silent as he moved, the years of being an out-cast criminal aiding him in his mission. To the public he looked like a normal human, except for a few striking features that made him stand out from the crowd. But inside, he was definitely not of earthly origin. He was of an abnormally high intellect, which made the smartest people on earth seem like drooling toddlers in comparison. He was able to built devices that put Apple to shame. To most he looked as if he was in his late teens, but really was centuries old and had seen more of the universe than most. It was because of this he was outcasted, by his own race and many others he encountered on his journeys. It was thanks to Ben Tennyson that he turned out like he did and for this; he wanted revenge.

With surprising skill and grace, he moved around in the forestry that lined parts of the large park. His bright eyes locked onto his prey with un-wavering determination. This had to work, if it didn't their whole plan would be put in jeopardy and he would never be able to get the revenge on the smug Tennyson boy he so rightly deserved.

Now he was only a few yards from were the boy was nervously pacing. He had to smirk to himself when he heard the obviously distraught boy begin to mumble at himself angrily and tug at his dyed locks. He was just too easy, but Azmuth still believed he was the greatest thing to ever grace the back water planet known as Earth. It was such a shame, he once looked up to him as a great scientist and role model, but now he feared the old alien was losing what great sanity he had.

He crouched in his position, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. For a few moments he watched the brunette pace and mumble, until a new, more alluring figure walked up. His wide eyes followed her as she moved. So this was the creature that his partner had tried to rid? He had to admit the Tennyson boy a good eye when picking sufficient mates. He couldn't say the same for the female though.

He let out a quiet snicker when the girl startled the hero causing him to jump and let out a high pitched squeak of surprise. This was supposed to be the oh-so-great Ben 10, defeater of the Highbreed and Saviour of the Universe. The figure scoffed, if only they could see their all powerful hero now…

From the position he has placed himself in, he was able to pick up parts of their conversations. He listened intently, hoping he could overhear something that would aid him and his partners goal of crushing the annoying bugs that were Tennyson and co. The ebony haired girl spoke first, her voice light and sweet. It seemed that everything about this girl was what humans classed as 'beautiful', what she was doing with a neanderthal like the Tennyson boy eluded him.

He continued to listen to her talk, her voice somewhat hypnotic; that was until she was cut short by a pair of lip crushing down on hers. His human features scrunched up into a look of disgust as he watched. He had been on this back-water planet a number of years (not by choice) and had yet to grasp the human mating ritual. He'd discovered that humans tended to recreate more for pleasure than actual survival and that they believed in what they classed as 'soul-mates'. Once mated with this person, they usually mated for life. Many other species found this ridiculous and added this to the growing number of reasons why humans were classed as such a pitiful race of beings, himself included.

Thankfully after a minute or two, they broke apart and continued with their idol and childish chit-chat, which for the most part he blocked out, finding it tedious and irrelevant. Until he noticed a change in the boys body language and facial expression, he seemed almost… guilty about what he was going to say next.

He listened in to every detail, getting slightly giddy at the idea of being able to crush the annoying brunette thanks to the boys unbeatably high level of stupidity.

"_"Yeah, well anyway, Azmuth believed that until you woke up that I wasn't mentally fit enough to wear the watch anymore so he took it off me"_

The lurking figure scoffed at the veracity of the teen's statement. That foolish human was never fit to wear the Ultimatrix or even the Omnitrix. Azmuth had clearly not seen this when he handed the device over, or he was just too oblivious to see he blatant mistake he was making.

_"So, when you woke up, I guess that Azmuth thought I was once again fit enough to wear the Ultimatrix."_

The other male rolled his eyes at the mention of the mad scientist's name. It seemed the old coote never learned from his previous mistakes. A trait he shared with the bumbling moron that was Ben Tennyson, he concluded.

_"So, he gave you back the watch?"_ The ebony haired girl interjected. He saw the boy flinch at her words, a sure sign that wasn't going to be the answer he gave. The hidden hybrid let his eyes widen in realisation and an evil smirk make its way over his pale lips. Oh this was just great. No this wasn't just great, this was unbelievable! The Tennyson boy had actually managed to beat his perception of how stupid he really was!

The girls eyes narrowed at him "What do you mean "No, not exactly"?" her voice threatening. The brunette began to twitch nervously as he attempted to try and explain himself to his girlfriend.

_"Well, you see, he came to see this morning to give it back to me because he thought I was ready, but I told him I didn't want it anymore"_

The stalker quickly slammed a scrawny hand over his mouth to muffle the rib-cracking laugh that threatened to erupt from his thin, chapped lips. He really couldn't comprehend the idiocy that was held by his nemesis. It was mind boggling that one boy could have such little sense and still manage to be allowed to wield the most powerful device the universe has ever seen and defeat planet conquering aliens without hardly breaking a sweat.

Giddy-ness swept over him as his intellectual mind began to process the endless possibilities that had arisen now that the hurdle that was more commonly known as the Ultimatrix was no longer an issue. It was thanks to that rotten device and the teen who wielded it, that he was now stuck as he was. So now that the boy no longer wore it, he was theirs for the taking.

Sweet revenge really was all sense of the word…sweet

Feeling that he no longer needed to listen to the couples tedious and down-right pointless conversation anymore, he fled the scene. As he made his way through the mostly deserted park, he let a dark chuckle rumble from his throat. This time, it would be Ben Tennyson who would be falling at his knees.

* * *

The warehouse were he, and his partners base of operations was being held wasn't as magnificent as he would have liked, but he had learned early on that you take what your given and work it to your advantage.

Walking into the almost derelict building, he scanned the area for any sign of his counterpart so he could tell him the wonderful news he had just managed to underhandedly swipe away from the moronic Tennyson.

Spotting him perched over what looked like a high tech computer, he made his way over. He kept his features and voice calm and indifferent as he addressed the other male, he didn't want him thinking he was even more like the boy they were trying to eradicate than he did already.

"I have new, beneficial information on our little 'friend'"

The man looked up, his dark eyes boring into the other bright ones. Scepticism flicked around them as he replied to his new, temporary 'team-mate'

"Do tell. Whatever we can get on the little snot nosed brat and his despicable team is better than nothing"

The bright eyed hybrid smirked, a motion that looked undoubtedly evil and unnatural of the features he sported. "It seems Tennyson has quit his duties of being 'The Saviour of the Universe' and gone back to being plain old ridiculously weak and pathetic Benjamin. What a shame hey?"

The dark-eyed male immediately caught onto what the other was saying and an evil grin of his own spread across his withered features.

"Yes, what a shame. I guess now we will have to change our plans accordingly. As they say "Let the fun begin…"

* * *

_**A/N: Phew! Now that was a challenge! A little competition for you all. If you can guess who or what the two villains are, I will give you a shout out next chapter, review one of your stories (If you have any) and maybe if I have time, will do a one-shot of your choice (Has to be Ben 10 though). **_

_**Get guessing! And don't forget to review! **_

_**Sam x **_


	21. What is Love?

_**A/N: Right. Here we go, another chapter for you all. I was inspired to finish this off quickly thanks to ETNRL4L and the series finale that I got to watch (It was in Spanish though so I couldn't really understand what they were saying). Lets just say, there is a scene which will make every single Benlie fan out there jump for joy! **_

_**I noticed there was only one of you who got the answer correct to the contest I put on last chapter, but the answers you did provide were quite intriguing. **_

_**Hope you all enjoy **_

_**Disclaimer: Umm…nope I don't own anything. **_

* * *

Idiot.

That's what he was. A stupid, moronic, irresponsible, bumbling idiot. Why he was ever allowed to socialise with people was beyond him, especially after the crap he had just managed to drop himself in.

Letting out an aggravated cry, his fist connected with the wall, splitting the fragile skin over his knuckles and making warm, crimson blood drip down his fingers. Growling to himself, the frustrated brunette resumed his panicked pacing, his blood-free hand continually raking through his brown mop in anger and nervousness.

"_Way to go there Tennyson. Show her you care by screaming and practically breaking up with her!" _He mentally scolded himself, gritting his teeth and squeezing his green eyes closed as the argument that transpired mere hours ago flashed through his mind like a terrifying nightmare.

He collapsed onto the edge of his bed, the old, wooden frame creaking under the sudden weight change. His body slumped forwards as he placed his thumping head in his hands and desperately tried to think of something, _anything_ to help him out of the hole he had dug himself into.

Jewellery wouldn't work, Julie wasn't one to be bought by fancy pieces of gold or silver, which was applicable to both flowers and chocolate too and any other gift he would try and spring on her in an attempt to make up for his fairly regular blunders. He needed something that had a deep meaning, that would make her see he really was sorry and never meant a word of what he said.

Maybe he could take her out for a meal? Or a picnic in a place that held a lot of memories for them? He shook his head, thick caramel bangs swishing around his pale face. No, that wouldn't work. She wasn't even answering his calls; the chances of actually getting her to come out and see him again were definitely against him.

He sighed and got up off the bed, his head hug low as he headed to the en-suite bathroom situated just off to the left of his small room. Upon entering the dimly lit room, he made his way over to his sink and splashed some cold water on his face, the chilling temperature of the liquid causing goose-bumps to ripple over his flesh.

His lithe fingers gripped the edge of the china white porcelain bowl, knuckles turning to pale ivory under the pressure. Lifting his head, he stared at his reflection in the mirror that hung in front of him. His usually bright green eyes were dull and bloodshot from crying, dark purple bags hung underneath indicating his lack of sleep. His face was pale and gaunt, his cheek bones prominent from his dwindling appetite. To him, he looked like a shell of his former-self. He was no longer that bright eyed teenager who looked at everything with enthusiasm. But a man haunted by the decisions he had made and terrified of the road ahead of him.

He wasn't ready for any of this family stuff; he was still only that teenager who was trying to battle aliens while trying to keep up with school and what little social life he had. How was he supposed to take care of a family when he couldn't even take care of himself? He was struggling just to make through each day without having a mental breakdown. Taking care of an infant was much more taxing both physically and mentally and he was afraid that someway along the road he was going to screw up.

He was barely able to keep his relationship with Julie together. With the stress of looking after a child, he had to wonder how much longer they would be able to hold onto the fragile foundations of their relationship. He knew one day she was going to leave him for something better, it had been inevitable from the start. But he had hoped that maybe if he kept on trying to keep them afloat it might postpone her thoughts and they could be together for just that little bit longer.

But now, he had blown it. He had pushed her so much that she was now out of his reach, no matter how far he stretched to try and get her back. There was no coming back from this. He'd broken her heart one to many times, and now she was putting up those unbreakable walls to protect herself.

He squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head as he felt his heart shatter inside his chest. They once had such a clear path ahead of them, the prospect of a bright and happy future together. But now? Now they were trying to hold onto something that was slipping away faster than they could grab it.

Pushing himself away from the sink, he exited the bathroom and once again headed over to his bed. Lifting his head slightly, his blood shot emerald rings caught the sight of the pictures that were taped to his wall. A rush of pure emotion pulsed through his veins as he looked over one picture in particular. Their prom photo. Plucking it off the wall, he brought it close, his eyes scrutinizing every inch of the image. The way her white and cerise dress clung to her perfect figure, the way her curled ebony locks fell around her bare creamy shoulders in that mesmerising way.

As the memory of that wonderful night dragged itself up from the back of his mind, he felt the crushing force of guilt land on his already shattered heart. He had gone and broken that 6 word promise that he had whispered to her as they danced under the pale moonlight.

_I will always be _**your**_hero. _

He'd done a lot of things in their 3 year relationship. Missing dates, splitting himself in three just so he could go see the Sumo- Slammer live action movie, kissed movie stars and had almost left her for another girl who was technically part machine. But this, this was the worse thing he could have ever done. He had basically taken everything their relationship had stood for, and stamped it into the dirt.

He let his eyes widen and a single tear streak down his sunken cheeks "Oh god, what have I done?" he breathed, realisation crashing down on him with the strength of Way-Big. He bolted from his bed and resumed his panicked pacing, his shaking hands tugging at his locks so hard it was starting to give him a headache.

He had to fix this and quickly. This wasn't just one of those idiotic mistakes he'd made because his brain decided to take a vacation, leaving Ben to be a moron for a day. No this was what either broke them or made their relationship work. But how did he go about fixing it? No way would just simply apologize as saying he would never do it again work, it didn't REALLY prove anything. He had to make sure Julie always knew he meant those six words and he was an idiot for ever chucking that away.

He was startled out of his panicked pacing by the shrill ring of his doorbell. Stopping by his bedroom door, he placed his ear against the rough wood so he could listen in to who could possibly be coming to his house at this time of day. At first, he heard his mothers light footsteps make their way to the door, then the sound of her never fading jovial voice as she addressed their impromptu guest.

"Oh, hello Gwen. Are you here to see Ben?"

The brunettes face paled and his eyes widened in surprise and fear. The only reason his cousin would be here right now is because Julie had obviously told her about what happened and now she was going to give him some big and angry lecture about being the perfect boyfriend and father. And probably hit him for being such a doofus.

Crap.

Scrambling from his position by the door, he began to search round his room frantically for a place to hide or someway to escape. To his utter demise and horror both his windows were locked and all the places he could hide were too small for him to fit, plus he could hear his cousin getting closer.

Double crap.

"BENJAMIN KIRBY TENNYSON!"

The male Tennyson winced at the use of his full name and the pitch at which it was screamed, as he desperately tried to get his windows open so he could escape the oncoming wrath of his livid Anodite cousin.

Without warning, his bedroom slammed open, causing the ex-hero to let out a squeak of fear and surprise while spinning around to face his fuming redheaded cousin as she stood in the door way. Her burning pits of emerald narrowed dangerously in his direction, making him shrink in on himself slightly as he sheepishly greeted the fuming girl

"Err… Hey Gwen. Looking as lovely as ever I see. What brings you here?"

The ginger stormed forward, causing the brunette to back away hurriedly to avoid any blows she might try to throw at him in her angry state.

"What am I doing here!" she spat, not even trying to hide the venom in her voice "I went home today to find my best friend and the mother of YOUR child bawling her eyes out on the sofa because YOU had basically thrown away everything because once again YOU were only thinking about YOURSELF! Does that ring any bells Ben?"

Ben swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to explain the situation to the redhead in a way that didn't get his face re-arranged.

"Look Gwen, I didn't mean for it to come out like that! I swear! I was just so scared and she wouldn't listen to my reasoning. I never, ever wanted to push her away! I just didn't know what to do! I panicked!" He squeaked out, and visibly flinched when Gwen threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and let out and angered grunt.

"I just don't believe you Ben!" she cried out "You think you can solve everything by yourself! Well news flash hero! Your not the only one in this relationship! Maybe you should have asked Julie about the whole thing before throwing everything away!"

At her last comment, the fear the brunette held was instantly replaced by boiling anger. She was pointing an accusing finger at him when she had done the exact same thing with Kevin when he became a mixture of materials! How could she judge him when she didn't even know the whole story!

"Wait a second Gwen. I only did all this so I could actually be there for my son! I never did it because I was trying being selfish and dumping all the responsibility I held! I gave up being a hero so that we could actually be a NORMAL family! I did it for THEM! So don't you start trying to pin all the blame on me because I wasn't being selfish! I was trying to do what was best!" He shouted back at her, his own deep green eyes boring into hers.

"And how did that work out for you Ben?" she snapped back. Defeat immediately replaced the anger that had spread over his pale features and he slumped forward. He diverted his gaze, not wanting his cousin to see the tears that began to form in his vision.

"You don't have to tell me I screwed up Gwen. I already know. I was an idiot and after everything I don't deserve someone as good as Julie"

"No, no you don't. So how are you going to fix it?"

He stayed silent for a moment as he quickly tried to conjure up a way to make it up to his ebony haired beauty. But, unfortunately for the Tennyson boy, he had never been one to grasp logical thinking. This, at the present moment, would ultimately be his down fall.

"Bake her a cake?"

Gwen had seen and heard her share of stupid things in the short 11 years she had got to really know her cousin. But, what he had just come out with was, by far, the most ridiculous and idiotic thing the boy had ever said. It was so ridiculously idiotic that the Anodite was left staring wide eyed at the brunette stupefied, unable to form words that could possibly try and begin explaining to the mindless moron how that would never work.

But soon her speechlessness was replaced with and overwhelming sense of irritancy towards her cousin. She swore the boy must have been dropped when he was younger. It couldn't be possible for someone to be born this stupid.

Within the next few seconds Ben would realise that when his cousin turned silent, it was a sure sign thing were going to turn very violent.

"Benjamin. Kirby. Tennyson. You. Idiotic. Moron." She growled out between each hit she delivered with the rolled up magazine she wielded, while her cousin cowered in a corner of his bed, covering his face with his arms and crying out for someone to help him as the redhead violently beat him with one of his comics

"You are going to get off your lazy butt, go home, apologize to Julie and beg her to take your sorry butt back. Otherwise, so help me I will do things to you that are 1000 times worse than this! Do you understand!"

"Okay! Okay! Just please stop hitting me!" The ex-hero whimpered out pathetically.

* * *

In the kitchen, Sandra happily hummed to the classical music that played softly in her ears as she washed up the dishes from breakfast, totally oblivious to the pleading cries of her son as he was mercilessly beaten by her angry and hormonal pregnant teenage niece.

* * *

After a few more whacks with the magazine, Gwen had calmed down enough to be able to function without feeling the need to hit her cousin round the head for being an oblivious jerk. Now she was standing by his bed, glaring daggers through his un-naturally thick and egotistical skull as he moved around the room.

Eyeing the redhead carefully in case she snapped again and he had to make a quick dash for the exit so he didn't get beaten a second time, Ben grabbed his jacket. He was just about to walk out the door, but was cut short when he heard the ginger loudly clear her throat. Cringing slightly, he turned round slowly to face her, a sheepish look on his pale face. The redhead stood with one hand resting on her hip in that "Don't mess with me" kind of way, her other hand outstretched as if waiting for something to be handed over. Her blazing green eyes narrowed at him as she once again loudly cleared her throat.

Ben's slightly frightened and questioning eyes snapped from her hand to her face, wondering what she wanted from him. "What?"

"Keys" was her simple yet harsh response as she ushered him forward with her hand "Give them"

The brunette sent the girl an incredulous look and scoffed at her insinuation "You are not driving my-" he stopped short when he saw the murderous glare his cousin was sending him that just dared him to finish his sentence.

Seeing he had no chance in hell of winning this argument and didn't feel like testing his cousins morals on abusing family members; the male teen let out a defeated sigh and handed the waiting girl the keys. Giving the brunette a satisfied smirk in return, she waltzed over to the door in an overly cocky manner. Ignoring the holes that were being burned into the back of her skull by her cousin, she stopped by the door, her voice as venomous as it has been previously.

"Coming?"

The question was more like a statement to Ben, who continued to stand inside his bedroom, afraid of what could happen if he got in the car with Gwen when she was this angry. When she was angry, she tended to get a little reckless. Something she and Kevin had in common. Noting that her cousin probably wasn't going to move of his own free will, the redhead decided to take things into her own hands. Crossing the small expanse of room that separated them, she reached up and clamped the boy's ear in her slim fingers and began to tug him painfully out the room.

"Hey! Ow! Let go!" the brunette whined in pain as he desperately tried to keep up with the ginger as to elevate the pain that surged through his ear.

"No" Was the sharp and simple response given as the boy continued to be dragged down the hall way by his angry family member. Ben let out a huff of air and muttered under his breath that his cousin seriously needed to take a chill pill. In retaliation to the boys smart assed comment, the redhead twisted the appendage she currently held in a way that would cause the most discomfort, making the brunette beneath her to let out a small shriek of pain. Satisfied that she had got her non-verbal message across, she ceased her twisting, but picked up the pace she was walking.

Within seconds they reached the small livingroom that led directly onto the street. The sound of her Aunt's soft humming could be heard as she moved around the kitchen with ease. Ben, seeing his mother was in hearing distance, called out to her in a last ditch effort to get his cousin to let him go.

"MOM! Mom help! Gwen's abusing me!" He whined out, flailing his arms about in a desperate attempt of getting his mothers attention.

"Okay dear! I hope you two have fun, don't forget to take a jacket" was her distracted reply and she popped out a rubber-glove clad hand in goodbye. Eyes widening in dismay, the ex-hero slumped his shoulders in defeat and traipsed after his raging cousin.

So much for that plan…

Once out of the family bungalow, Gwen made her way over to were the DX Mark 10 was parked neatly in the driveway, still dragging her cousin along by his ear. Unlocking the vehicle, she let go of the boy and pointed to the passenger side.

"Get in"

Rubbing his sore ear and grumbling about how unfair the girl was being, he followed the order and got in. Placing herself in the driver's seat, Gwen started up the hand-built sports car, the engine roaring under the movement of her foot. Pulling out the driveway, she peeled down the road, her anger fuelling their speed.

* * *

The drive back to the apartment that the two couples shared was filled with an awkward and tense silence. Gwen, fearing she may snap at him again and cause an accident, concentrated on the road, her hands gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned a pure white. Meanwhile Ben just stared forlornly out the window, his hand pulsating with stinging pain. If he couldn't sort this mess out, that was it. Everything he stood for would be gone and he'd have nothing left. This wasn't about egos or who'd done what. This was about responsibilities, morals, about everything their small, fragile relationship stood on.

Shutting his eyes, he lent his head against the cool glass window, his mind drifting off into his thoughts.

He thought about what was classed as 'Love'. Some defined it as desire for someone or to feel affection for one and other. But for him, 'Love' wasn't just about the affection or desire, it was something deeper.

'Love' was about seeing each other as equals, knowing one and others faults, yet accepting them as who they were and working round the problems they faced.

'Love' was about going through thick and thin together, yet still being as strong or even stronger than ever before.

'Love' is fragile and we're not always its best caretakers. We just muddle through and do the best we can. And hope this fragile thing survives against all odds.

'Love' is never easy, but if you really want it, love is something that is worth fighting for.

'Love' is what Julie and himself held onto so tightly, it was the one thing stopping them both from falling into the dark oblivion. No matter what was thrown at them, whether it be and alien invasion or the prospect of having a child together. Love was what always what got them through.

But, would it be love that brought them back together, or tear them apart?

* * *

_**A/N: So there you go. **_

_**Hope you all enjoyed and don't forget to review otherwise Gwen will come after you :D**_

_**Sam **_


	22. What Makes Us or Breaks Us

_**A/N: Here we go, the chapter you have all been waiting ever so patiently for. But alas, probably the last one for a while. I'm going to try and get some other stories done and updated while I have two weeks off from college, so this one is going on the back burner, just for a while. **_

_**Also, I watched the Ultimate Alien finale, and almost screamed the house down. The little Benlie bit at the end was so sweet and adorable! But, it's probably the last seeing as Omniverse is the next series and I highly doubt we are going to get any couple stuff any more. And as for the Kevin design, I'm not happy about it. But that is a rant saved for another day. **_

_**To ETNRL4L,Thank your for all of your concern about my finger, but I'm not going to let it stop me just yet. I hope everything with your surgery goes well, and I wish you all the best. Look after yourself **__**J**_

_**Edit: Check out the end, have added a bit more Benlie fluff for you. **_

_**On with the chapter. **_

_**Disclaimer: Don't even go there…**_

* * *

He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. He was nowhere near ready to face his girlfriend yet. In the back of his mind he knew that he should be begging to be able to apologize, but the fear he might screw up again was stopping from what he knew in his heart was right.

He clenched his fist in frustration, splitting open the self-inflicted wounds on his knuckles and piercing the tough skin on his palms with his blunt fingernails. He ignored the stinging pain, his mind to pre-occupied with the past and the future to be bothered by the present.

"So this is what you've been reduced to huh Tennyson? Hidin' in your car afraid, while the mother of your child is sittin' inside cryin' her eyes out because you screwed up again."

Ben frowned at the voice that seemingly came out of nowhere, and that weirdly enough sounded like his dark-haired bestfriend. Looking around too see if he spot the source of said voice, he found nobody within the vicinity of the car. Scoffing at himself, he shook his head.

"Great, I'm losing my mind. Might as well lock me up in a mental home and be done with it. Saves everyone a lot everyone a lot of grief that's for sure." he mumbled dejectedly.

"That's not the only thing you're losing" The annoyingly familiar voice rang out again "All the time you sit here mumblin' to yourself and wallow in self-pity, the further away Julie slips."

The brunette grits his teeth in annoyance "So what you suggest I do, oh all powerful voice?" He bit back sarcastically.

"Get off your scrawny and annoying butt, get inside and apologize, you moron! For once, drop the ridiculous ego and show the girl you love just how special she really is!" The voice ordered, its tenor obviously showing its frustration with the boy.

Ben let his shoulders slump in defeat and let out a relenting sigh.

"Okay, Okay. I'm going. No need to get your panties in a twist"

He grinned when he heard a low and threatening growl resonate through the interior of the hand-built sports car. If the teen couldn't take it, he really shouldn't dish it out.

* * *

Inside, Kevin glared down at the green and black intergalactic sign of piece that he clutched tightly in his hand as he cut the com-link to the DX-Mark 10. Placing the badge on the coffee table in front of him, he sat back in the chair and eagerly awaited for when his extremely irritable redhead dragged in his daily source of entertainment and gave him a verbal (And if he was lucky, physical) beat down. Anodite style.

* * *

Gripping the thick, plastic handle, Ben pushed the door open. Only to come face to face with a very angry Gwen Tennyson.

Startled by the sudden appearance of his cousin, he let out a high pitched scream and brought his hands up to shield his face. "Jeez Gwen" he puffed out a few seconds later. Dropping his hands at his sides, he sent and annoyed glare the redhead's way.

Ignoring the look her cousin was giving her, she sent him her own icy glare. She refused to say anything in case her self control snapped and she ended up throttling her cousin into an early grave. Instead she simply thrust and arm out in the direction of the front door, signalling that if he didn't move, and quickly, being startled would be the least of his problems.

Shuffling out the car, the brunette cringed away from his silently fuming cousin and swiftly made his way to the house, the teenage Anodite hot on his heels. Once inside, his bloodshot jade rings immediately settled on the narrow, pale hallway that lead to the two small bedrooms on either side. He knew that's were Julie would be. She never was one to burden other people with her problems, preferring to keep herself to herself.

The ex-hero swallowed thickly, his mouth running dry as the uncontrollable nerves set in and his hands began to shake. This was it. This was his final chance at fixing their relationship and showing his Japanese- American beauty just how much she meant to him.

A hard shove from behind brought him out of his stupor and caused him to stumble forward a few paces. Spinning round, he glared at the girl behind him before letting out a disgruntled huff of air and stalking off towards the bedrooms, mumbling under his breath about bi-polar cousins.

As the door began to loom ever closer, the Tennyson boy felt his heart thrash wildly in his chest. This should have been easy, but his low self-esteem, over active imagination and self doubts made it 10x harder. He was no good words! He wasn't even that good at showing people either! How the hell he was going to prove to Julie that he really was eternally sorry for what he had done was something he hadn't got round to figuring out. But he guessed like everything else he did, he would just have to go with what his gut, and heart, told him to do.

As he clamped a clammy hand around the cool brass doorknob, Ben could feel the internal battle within his chest grow stronger. Part of him wanted to run away, hide from the pain and the confrontation. He could leave knowing she was safe, but also knowing how much pain she was in. Running was the coward's way out, yet it seemed so right, so easy. Julie would be able to move on, find someone she deserved. Kenny would have a proper father figure to look up at and be able to live a safe, normal life. And what about himself? He would probably become a distant memory, fading into the background never to be seen again.

But, could he really do it? Could he really just turn his back on everything and everyone because he didn't want the pain and anguish that came with it? Would he be able to leave the girl he loved when she needed him the most? No. He wouldn't, he couldn't, do that to her. Julie was his everything, he give his life 100 times over just to be able to know she was safe.

He'd run away from his problems for so long. Pushed them away hoping that if he ignored them enough they'd go away. Not this time. This time he was going to admit he was wrong and do all he could to make sure he fixed it.

Knocking on the door, he prepared himself to say all the words he'd never said. This was when he took down those impenetrable walls that protected him and gave the woman of his dreams everything she deserved and more.

"Julie? It's me Ben. Can we talk, please?" He spoke softy, silently begging that she would let him in to explain.

"Go away Ben. I don't want to talk to you." was the muffled angst-ridden reply. Sighing, he leant his forehead against the hard wood, eyes closed as he resisted the urge to breakdown and runaway.

"Julie, please. I just want to talk to you."

His plea was met with silence. Knowing that he was getting nowhere by talking to a door, he turned the handle and went inside. Quickly scanning the room, his guilt-ridden eyes immediately settled on the tightly wrapped up bundle of blankets that rested on the bed, a small tuft of raven coloured hair that poked through the top the only indication that his girlfriend was there.

"Jules?"

She didn't even turn to face him as she replied, her tone filled with red hot venom that burned with every hate filled word she uttered.

"There is nothing to talk about Ben. You've already said enough don't you think? Or have you come to dig that knife you plunged in my heart just that much deeper?"

The green-eyed boy visibly cringed at the analogy, the vice-like grip guilt had on his heart squeezing it that much tighter. His figure slumped as his face twisted into one of pure disgust.

Disgust at himself for doing this to the girl who had given herself to him in mind, soul and body.

"Julie please" he begged, desperate to get her to listen to him. "I never meant to hurt you I swear! I was just so scared and confused!"

The tennis player let out a disbelieving huff of air, still stubbornly refusing to face him "So, that's your excuse? You were scared? Do you think that's a good enough reason to throw away everything we worked so damn hard for? To throw away the thing that made you, you? You, Ben Tennyson, seriously need to start thinking up better excuses"

Ben's eyes widened in dismay. The bond they once held was breaking faster than he could try and fix it back together. If he didn't act, and fast, that bond would be gone forever.

"No! You don't understand! I never meant to throw everything away, I was trying to make things better for us! To give us a chance to be a normal family!" He wearily tried to protest.

The small ebony scoffed at his explanation. Unbelieving of the words he spoke. "And how did that work out for you Ben? Huh? Do we look like a _normal_ family to you? Do you think _normal_ even comes close to what we are?" her rhetorical questions were like fire against the boys skin, the truth of each question burning holes in bleeding heart.

"We can…we are!. You just have to listen to me!" He pleaded, his cracking tenor presenting the signs that the argument was tiring him both physically and mentally.

"Look Julie" He spoke softly "If anything, even a scratch, happened to you and Kenny, I would never, ever be able to forgive myself. I'm still trying to forgive myself for the last time. I just want you and the baby to be happy an safe, to feel like a family. I wouldn't do this to you to hurt you, I couldn't. But when I was sat by your side, watching you as you wasted away before me, I hated myself for never doing the things I should have with you. All I want to do is to be able to make up for all the times I lost."

Unexpectedly, the tennis player bolted upright from her position on the bed, her dark eyes narrowing dangerously at the teen in front of her. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood up and moved to stand a few metres in front of her so-called boyfriend.

Her voice was cold and unforgiving as she spoke, her posture rigid and defensive. "Me? Me? Your worried about me? Your trying to do what's' best for me? What about you Ben? Is what your doing the best for you?"

When the boy didn't answer and looked away from her scolding gaze, she knew the answer. He hadn't. It most likely hadn't even come into his train of thought. So ready to help others, but not himself, even if helping himself was how to help others.

"And what about me Ben? Did it even occur you how _I_ feel when _you_ get hurt? I have to watch you take hits from aliens and monsters that are 10x your size and not bat an eyelid. I have to sit back, day after day, while the man I love rushes off into a battle he may not return from. And when those battles don't go to plan, I have to see the horrendous injuries you suffer. Do you have any idea what it like to have to witness that and to know there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it or even help?"

Her voice began to crack, and tears pooled at the corners of her eyes as she dredged up the old thoughts and feelings she had hidden away for so long.

"It hurts Ben! It hurts so damn much! I live in fear, knowing you are out there, fighting and risking your life with only that ridiculous and unpredictable watch to keep you safe. I lay awake at night, wondering, hoping, that in the morning I will still have a boyfriend. My phone never leaves my side in case I get that dreaded phone call telling me you just didn't make it this time"

The thick, pain filled tears broke free of her lashes, rolling down her cheeks in quick succession. Each one leaving a dark stain on her perfect alabaster skin.

"But I do it. I survive. All because I love you, I love you so much it hurts. And deep down, I know that its what you were born to do, and no-one should ever change it. Especially you. A hero is what you are first and foremost. But that's gone now. That strength, that faith we had, is ruined."

"I'm sorry Ben. But I just cant do this anymore. It's over."

As soon as those to deadly words left her lips, Ben felt his whole world cave in on itself. The grip guilt on his heart finally crushing it under its momentous pressure. He watched as the girl he loved turned her back on him to stare out the large window that looked over the street.

His right arm reached out in a silent but desperate effort to try and get her back, to try and fix what he had broken. But it was just too late. Their foundations had crumbled and crashed around them. The bond they shared, the understanding they had was gone.

His outstretched limb fell limply by his side, his head hung low to obscure the view of the beautiful girl he had lost after fighting so hard to keep. He turned away from her, his broken soul no longer able to cope with the heartbreak reality brought about.

After so long and so much, that perfect little glass bubble they had lived in had smashed, the dagger like shards of glass imbedding themselves in both their broken hearts and minds as a constant and agonizing reminder of what they had lost.

"I guess that all this time, those three words you would whisper to me were just cruel and vindictive lies. And yet, I was ignorant and stupid enough to believe you." The tennis player mumbled, her voice thick with anguish and spite.

Before even he, himself had registered what he was doing, the brunette swivelled round on his heel and roughly grabbed the ebony's arm. Twisting her round, the girl didn't have a split second to voice her annoyance before a pair of lips came crashing down on hers with enough force to bruise.

Too stunned to anything, and her lips too preoccupied to try and say anything, Julie felt herself get lost in the mid-numbing kiss, her lips kissing back with just as much vigour.

Ben's lips moved feverishly, his strong arms encircling her growing waist in effort to pull her closer to him. He put as much passion as he could into that one kiss. Every drop emotion, every part of his soul. With every second their lips were connected, he was showing her the infinite amount of reasons she would always be his one and only.

Slowly, his hands moved from her waist, his fingers ghosting up her side. The Saviour of the Universe felt his girlfriend shiver lustfully under his sensational touch as his hands continued in an upwards motion. Reaching her face, he gently cupped her cheeks and deepened their kiss, his tongue exploring every inch of her silky cavern as it battled for dominance.

After a good 10 minutes, yet only felt like a mere 10 seconds to the couple, they parted. Their chest's heaved as they drew in oxygen. Wrapping his arms back round the girls waist, he stared deep into her hazel rings, the seriousness in his voice overwhelming.

"Don't ever say that I don't love you. Because that is one of the biggest lies that could ever come out of your mouth. Every time I have said those words, I have meant it with everything I had, and still do. You are always the one that believed in me, was there for me when no-one else bothered."

He pulled her into his chest, his well-built arms locking tighter around her waist. Julie could feel his strong heartbeat through his thin cotton shirt, it's rhythmic beating soothing her agony along with his sincere words.

"It wasn't me who saved the universe. I was just the one who did all the leg work. You are the real hero. You were the one who gave me the strength to carry on, gave me a reason to save our world. No-one may know this, and probably never will, but you Julie May Yamamoto, you are MY hero."

The ebony's eyes widened to the size of saucers at what her boyfriend had just said. Never, in their whole 3 year relationship, had Ben ever anything like that. She felt her heart swell in her chest, her eyes watering as she clung to him desperately.

"I'm sorry Jules" He whispered into her soft locks, his hands rubbing small, calming circles on her back. "I promise you, I will do all I can to make sure you never have to go through that worry again. And if you really want me to, I will put the watch back on and carry on being a hero."

He felt her nod against his chest, her sobs muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt. He knew after today it would take time for them to get back to the way they were. Too much had happened to just simply click back. But it was worth it. It was worth it to be able to have his girl and child by his side, cheering him on and making everything he did worthwhile.

Pulling away from his chest, Julie looked up and the handsome contours of her boyfriends face. Her dark eyes roaming over every feature until settling on those deep pools of jade that were the windows to his ravaged soul.

"Do you really mean it?" she questioned. She had to hear it, just to put her mind at ease...

Smiling lovingly down at the girl in his arms, the brunette brought his hand up to gently wipe away the crystalline tears from her soft cheeks "With everything I've got" he murmured. Leaning down, he placed a soft butterfly kiss on her nose, his eyes shining with that familiar twinkle as he continued.

"I know a lot of crap comes out my mouth. But those three words, they are the one thing I would never, ever lie to you about. You are my world, no one can change that. Not Jennifer, nor Elena. "

"There will only ever be one other girl I will be able to love. And one of these days, she's going to be calling you "Mommy"."

Tears once again began to stream down the girls cheeks as a beaming smile adorned her face, her arms working their way to wrap around her boyfriends neck.

"Like I've said before: You Ben Tennyson, really are something special. I'm just glad that I get to be the one to witness it"

Standing up on her tip-toes, she brushed her lips softly against his, whispering those three beautiful words that locked their hearts forever.

"I love you"

* * *

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! And don't forget to review **__**:)**_

_**Sam x**_


	23. Thank You's

_**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm so so so so sorry for taking so long to update. I have been sooo busy its unreal. I spend 6 days a week at college then have to do courses the other days I'm off. As well as College I have to battle off illness and injury, parents, technical difficulty. I'm just so muddled and jumbled I don't know which was is which. **_

_**But, this trend is unfortunately to carry on. I am really swamped with stuff that I barley get time to eat and sleep. With added coursework and days to catch up, Fanfic's are really getting pushed to the back of the queue. **_

_**I want to say a big thank you to all of you who have review favoured or are watching this fic. When I started this, over a year ago, I never ever thought I would reach 100 reviews, let alone 122. You guys are amazing. Thank you. **_

* * *

"Start fighting aliens at the age of 10? Sure! Duel with an alien warlord who could destroy you with a flick of their oversized wrist? Why not? Spend months fighting a race of aliens who want to wipe out your planet? Go on! "

"Ask him to go shopping with you? He's out that door, screaming at the top of his lungs quicker than you can blink."

Gwen couldn't help but laugh at her ebony-haired friend as she angrily grumbled about her cousin. As soon as the loathed and deadly 'S' words had first left her lips, the boy had fled the room faster than anyone had thought he was capable of.

Like a lot of things, Ben and shopping didn't mix well. Due to his almost, non-existent attention span, walking around the mall got incredibly boring, very quickly. This, she had unfortunately discovered, made him whine something chronic.

In simple terms, going shopping with Ben was like going shopping with a hyperactive 2 year-old. Extremely frustrating, and a test of your mental and physical control.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, she caught a glimpse of her cousin sulking in the back-seat of her boyfriend's car while the tennis-player narrowed hazel rings burned holes in the side of his skull.

She could practically _feel _the love radiating from the pair.

* * *

Ben let out a disgruntled sigh as he stared out the small car window and watched as the world whizzed by in a blur of green and grey. He really didn't understand why Julie was so annoyed that he didn't want to go shopping with her. She knew very well he didn't enjoy walking aimlessly around clothing stores, watching as they tried on various types of clothing and giggled at cute boys as they walked past. He tended to be more of a hindrance than a help in telling what looked good and what didn't. How the hell was he supposed to know what colours matched her skin tone? He could barley dress himself! Hence the reason he stuck to a plain t-shirt and jeans. You couldn't go wrong with such a simple style.

He could feel both his girlfriend and cousins disapproving glares as they muttered about how ridiculous the boy was being. Great. Another thing on the long list of stuff he's never going to be able to live down. No doubt his dark-haired, Osmosian best-friend was probably enjoying watching him be forced to suffer. Why do the torturing yourself when your pregnant girlfriend and her, also pregnant, best-friend can do it for you?

That guy had some serious issues...

Tuning out the mutterings of the two females and the almost silent snickering of his best-friend, he thought back to all that had happened in the past week or so. It had been an emotional roller coaster that's for sure, one he really wasn't ready to try out again. From almost losing the love of his life to her parents, to going back home after making them think they had lost their son, then screwing up his relationship once again and practically having to dig his heart out to make it better. He'd had enough. He just wanted to be able to curl up with his girl and watch as the little life they created grew.

But of course, if you are lucky enough to have the last name of Tennyson, nothing ever came that easy. Ben knew they had a lot of things to go through before they were even allowed to relax for a little while. But he also knew it would be worth it. A few troubles for a lifetime of happiness with his soul-mate and beautiful children? That was definitely a no brainier, even for him.

As soon as the torturous and mundane car journey had started, it stopped. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the brunette moved to look out the windshield. There, stood before him, were 3 stories worth of shops, restaurants and beauty salons. A females dream and his worst nightmare. Cringing away from the ear-piercing shriek that came from the over-excited females that inhabited the car, he sent a longing look to the Osmosian, who seemed about as happy as he did at the prospect of spending endless hours carrying heavy bags and watching the girls shop. Letting his shoulders slump in defeat, he followed his best-friends lead and got out the car.

"Trust me dude" Kevin whispered to him as the girls began to head towards the door " Your better off agreeing with her and makin' sure she's happy than fightin'. It saves a lot of grief and you end up gettin' a reward at the end of it, if you know what I mean." he finished his statement with a coy smile and a insinuating wiggle of his thick, dark eye-brows.

Unable to keep the smile off his face, the brunette gave the burley teen a playful shove and rolled his eyes at the teen's immaturity. "Only you would you would come out with that. No wonder Gwen calls you immature" he replied mockingly.

Kevin just brushed off the younger teens insult as he walked to catch up to his girlfriend who was waiting impatiently. "Don't knock it till you try it dude. A girls way of saying thank you is one thing you don't want to miss"

* * *

Watching as her boyfriend slowly made his way over to were she stood, his hand jammed into his pants pockets, shoulders slumped and an unhappy grimace on his face, Julie felt guilty for being so harsh on him for not wanting to come. She knew he didn't like shopping, but she so desperately wanted him to come, just so he could share the joy she felt when searching for baby clothes. Then when he said he didn't want to come, she guessed her short temper snapped. Another wonderful side affect to being pregnant, besides the weird cravings, moods swings and the need to relieve yourself every 5 minutes. He'd been so wonderful the past week too. Calling to her every need and desire, sitting and watching numerous chick-flicks and sad movies without a single complaint. Even when Kevin made fun of him, he had barely batted an eyelid, preferring to counter the Osmosian's childish taunts with "If it makes her happy, then I'd sit and watch these for the rest of my life".

He'd even cleaned the whole flat up when she had gone with Gwen to pick up some clothes from his Aunt's and Uncles! This was something that both shocked and delighted her to the point she was left gaping at the place. It was like he wasn't the same immature and slightly egotistic boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago. Yet she found she didn't mind his dramatic change in personality. It was a welcomed difference from the big-headed, pompous and slightly selfish version she'd had to put up with when his secret went public. He still had his moments, yes, but for best part of the time he was a true gentleman.

Turning to face her redheaded friend, she let a small smile tug at her lips as a plan formulated in her mind. "Hey Gwen, why don't you and Kevin go ahead? Ben and I will catch up with you in a few." She called out, gaining her friends attention.

At first the request was met with a quizzical look, before a knowing smile spread across the Anodite's features. Her eyes were glittering with mirth as she let out a small giggle. "Got some making up to do?" she questioned, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. The small ebony rolled her eyes, Gwen and Ben were more alike than the Tennyson girl would've probably liked to imagine. A fact she didn't mind pointing out the grinning redhead.

"You and Ben are as bad as each other, you know that?" She teased, causing her friend to pout and cross her arms over her chest defensively. "Hey! Ben and I are nothing alike. If you haven't noticed I don't have an obsession with smoothies or Sumo-Slammers. So nuh!" she protested and stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Of course you're not Gwen" she replied condescendingly and shot the girl a patronisingly sympathetic look. The angry huff she received was indication enough to Julie, that she had won their little childish argument. Giggling as the redhead heatedly crossed her narrow arms over her chest, she waited for the two sulking boys to catch up.

"Y'know, you both even look the same when you pout like that" The ebony couldn't help but point out, knowing full well it would wind the already infuriated Anodite up even more.

Smirking as her best-friend sent her an insulted sneer in return, she turned amused hazel eyes to the dark-haired teen that currently stood looking slightly confused and wary of why his girlfriend looked as if she wanted to rein physical pain down on her cousin's girlfriend.

"She's just getting antsy because she wont admit that she and Ben have more in common than just the same birthday" she informed the Osmosian, who immediately let a devilish smirk warp his features as he wrapped a chiselled arm around the silently fuming girls waist.

"Don't worry babe. I'm pretty certain you and Tennyson don't have that much in common. I mean, there's lots of things you can do that would make the kid's non-existent brain explode" He tried to console, but the underling humour in tenor gave away his true intentions.

"Uh-huh, like what?" She bit back, piercing emerald eyes narrowing in his direction. Leaning down he whispered something in her ear that immediately made her eyes widen and a bright, scarlet blush race up her neck to her cheeks. By the way she had reacted so quickly and the current unashamed smirk the boy was sporting, it was fairly straightforward to guess what the older male had whispered to the girl. And to be quite honest, Julie didn't really put it past the ex-con to use something like that to get Gwen to bend to his wishes; he'd done it plenty of times before, much to the chagrin to the redhead and her brunette cousin.

Speaking of Ben, the tennis player spotted him from the corner of her eye, slowly making his way towards the group, hands still thrust into his pants pockets and that ever present unhappy grimace had yet to work its way off his face. Guilt once again pooled at the bottom of her stomach as she took in his defensive and defeated posture. She really had upset him…

"Ben?" She called out softy, gaining his attention "Can we talk?"

The saviour of the universe gave her a questioning look, his mind running through all the possibilities of why she would want to speak to him. "Uh, yeah sure" he replied, unsure of what was going on. Flicking his green gaze to his cousin and best-friend, the boy's thick russet eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement at the sight of his fiercely blushing relative and her boyfriend who seemed to be grinning manically at reaction the ginger had taken on.

"_Why is Kevin smiling at Gwen blush- Y'know what, I'm not even going to go there. I've got enough problems without worrying about the inappropriate stuff being whispered" _he mused to himself, a disgusted frown over-taking his features as he watched the two teens walk off. Switching his gaze back to his girlfriend, he could feel that damned guilt that had been plaguing him for weeks, once again work its way into his stomach. He should have at least tried to be happy for her, just to make her feel some-what normal. But then his male pride kicked in and that idea flew out his mind faster than it came in. And once again, he'd managed to push her feelings aside and upset her.

God, he really was a jerk sometimes.

Sighing, he brought his hands out his pockets and got readied himself to apologize the hell out of his girlfriend. Again. Upon reaching the small ebony, he opened his mouth as he prepared to say sorry for not wanting to come, but was immediately cut short when her soft mouth came up to meet his.

The brunette instantly brought his arms to wrap around her waist, his lips moving against hers feverishly as his tongue battled hers in their own war for dominance. His mind seemed to shut down as he focused on the current passionate embrace he was sharing with his girlfriend. It barely even registered when he heard an elderly couple loudly tut and mutter something about teenagers these days.

All too soon for the Tennyson boys liking, Julie pulled away. Opening his unfocused green eyes to meet her hazel ones, he felt a stupidly happy grin plaster itself on his face as he revelled in the moment. He'd never get tired of the girls surprise kisses.

"I want to say I'm sorry for over-reacting earlier." The tennis player apologized, her voice low, soft and dripping with sincerity. Still not fully coherent from the earlier oxygen deprivation and the rushing teenage male hormones, the only response the hero could begin to remotely conjure was a muddled "Wha?"

Gigging at the down right adorable look of bewilderment on her boyfriends face, she explained what she meant in a way the boy would hopefully understand.

"When I was angry at you before for not wanting to come, I was out of order. I should have taken what you wanted into consideration instead of just getting in a temper because I couldn't get my own way. So I'm sorry, and I only hope I can make it up to you"

Blinking a few times, he made sure what he had witnessed was in fact legitimate, and wasn't one of those unfortunate moments where he'd fallen asleep in back of the car and would wake up with a Sharpie moustache doodled on his face, courtesy of his immature, dark-haired best-friend.

Coming to the conclusion that he wasn't in some wonderful and maybe slightly twisted dream, and he didn't have to worry about the impeding drama of walking into school looking like the Pringle guy, he sent a warm smile down to the wonderfully perfect girl in his arms.

"Hey, no need to apologize. We can be as bad as each other sometimes, but it doesn't mean I will think any less of you. I couldn't." He let a cheeky grin cover his features as he spoke the last part of his statement "I've lost count the amount of times Kev's called me a hormonal teenage girl, so even at your worst you're probably still better than me"

The small ebony instantaneously burst into a round of giggles, her eyes tearing up as the words replayed themselves in her mind. Kevin had been dead on in his judgement of her boyfriend. Ben could chance his mood within the blink of an eye, an impressive feat for someone who was supposed to be a 'Macho Hero'. Even she, especially with all the pregnancy hormones racing through her blood stream, couldn't flick between emotions that quickly. She still remembered the time he'd managed to go from angry at his best friend, to upset at her for laughing at him, then to happy he was getting a smoothie. All in the space of 3 seconds. Not to mention the way he could reach a note so high, they were worried it might shatter windows.

Ben certainly was something. She wasn't sure what he was exactly yet, but that was something for her to discover.

Calming herself down, she locked amused dark eyes to her boyfriends light ones. She had to quickly bring a hand up to cover her mouth to quell the renewed giggled that threatened to spill from her mouth at the childish pout her boyfriend had taken on.

"Glad you and Kevin finally agrees on something" He huffed out, his deep eyes taking on a slightly hurt demeanour. But, soon he couldn't keep up with the act, and let a grin overtake his features. A rumbling chuckle vibrated through his chest as he rested his forehead against her own.

Clearing her throat, she sent her boyfriend a sly and smile. Her voice dripping with suggestiveness as began to slowly 'Walk' her fingers up his well muscled chest.

"So, seeing as you as you have been such a gentleman this past week, I thought maybe that I could, I dunno, give you a little 'thank you' present"

Grinning down at her, the brunette sent his own little suggestive eyebrow wiggle "And what did we have in mind?" he questioned, his hands ghosting up and down her sides.

Leaning up, she whispered something in his ear, almost immediately the hero reacted in very much the same way his cousin did, not that long ago. A furious flaming red blush raced up his neck, reaching all the way to the tips of his ears, his eyes widened in surprise as he stared gob-smacked at the girl in front of him who was sending him a sultry smile.

"R-r-really? That?" he spluttered, his mind still in overdrive from the hot words she whispered.

"That" she confirmed. The grin that spread across the saviour of the universe's face was so large; it practically took up all his features. Within milliseconds, he had leant down and captured his girlfriend's soft lips in a fiery and sensational kiss, its passion sending shivers down his spine.

Puling away minutes later, he let his lips linger on hers, his hot breath tingling her bruised lips.

"Later tonight, you are so going to be mine" he growled lustfully against her lips, and gave her bottom one a possessive nip. Nipping right back, the ebony's response was even more lustrous as she grazed her plump lips along his cheek.

"Oh, I don't think so. For it's you, Ben Tennyson, who shall be mine for the taking tonight"

And like that she was gone, out of is grasp and heading towards the mall doors. But, before reaching the two towering glass doors that separated women and their cash for the hundreds of shops who competed for it, she turned to face him. The seductive smile she wore was hot enough to scorch the skin off his body. If her mother knew she could smile like that, Ben was sure it would cause her a heart attack.

"Oh and Ben" She called out, her voice light but still holding authority "Just so you know, the gate way to Heaven is closed. But that doesn't mean you can't still rings the bells"

Sending him a wink, she sauntered off into the store; the hero's eyes following her hips as they swayed, hypnotically beautiful, from side to side. Man, that girl was hot, beautiful and really knew how to wrap you round her finger.

Quickly scurrying forward to catch up o the woman of his dreams, he was suddenly hit with a very disturbing and rare thought.

Kevin, for once, had been right.

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, I have no idea were that sexual innuendo came from. Sorry. **_

_**I know, this is probably the worst chapter ever. But I just need to get back into the swing of it. **_

_**Please don't forget to review **_

_**Sam x  
**_


	24. An Unlikey Companion

_**A/N: Thanks to the bank holiday here, I got the weekend off college. So I was able to write up the next chapter. As to when I can get another chapter out, I have no idea. I have such a busy schedule and so much going on right now, it's impossible for me to just sit down and write. **_

_**I have read the first Hunger Games book, and I must say, that is an amazing book. I am hooked on it now, hopefully should be getting the second book in the next couple of days, and I cant wait! **_

_**Disclaimer: *Looks through possessions* Ben 10 socks, 60+ Ben 10 figures, Ben 10 bags, Ben 10 plasters, Ah nope. I don't own Ben 10. Sorry. **_

* * *

Calculating ruby eyes watched as the dark mysterious figure moved around the empty space. The albino scrutinized and recorded every miniscule feature, from the numerous scars that littered his pale face, and the supple leather that clothed his well built body, to the long, dark locks that hung round his face like an ebony curtain, cutting the worlds view of his flickering brown eyes. He sat for what seemed like hours, watching, waiting, just for something to help him better understand this twisted and out-cast criminal.

So far, all the Galvan had managed to decipher was that everything about this man screamed "deadly". Even the way he moved was enough to put the doppelganger on a constant edge. He was graceful, regal even. It didn't seem possible that this was the creature that could crush your body into a fine power with a simple tense of his powerful muscles, had gone nose to nose with Tennyson and had been seconds away from winning, was ruler of the Null Void; the place were the worst of the worst were sent.

This was the monster that frightened the greatest intergalactic police to the point they kept a special squad of their best officers to deal with him in-case he escaped and went on a rampage. He was that dangerous. Some, including himself at some points, would wonder why he would correspond with such a dangerous and unpredictable criminal, especially since he looked like the very man he despised. The answer was simple: He was the only one with the power and knowledge to finally destroy the seemingly indestructible Tennyson and Co.

"Albedo"

Jolting to attention, blood red rings met with dark onyx. Clearing his throat, the white-haired teen schooled his features into a neutral and indifferent look. Showing fear to his man was like walking on the distant planet Katnissia: stupid and you were most definitely going to die an excruciating death.

"You called?" He replied, not even bothering to keep the boredom out of his tenor. Anger immediately flared up in the creatures deep brown eyes, his fist's clenching at his sides. There were numerous things that would cause him to fly into an uncontrollable rage, disrespect being one of them. Albedo was just lucky he had certain usefulness to the ebony, otherwise he would have been vaporised within seconds of his disgusting reply.

"You are a Galvan, are you not?" He questioned, eyeing his counterpart carefully. Something just didn't add up, and he was certain he would find out, even if he had to go through Hell and high water…

"Yes, I am. But as you can see, thanks to that snivelling moron that is Benjamin Tennyson, I am stuck in this hideous form, unable to change back to my original Galvan body." he answered, voice filled with spite and disgust as he replayed what is greatest adversary had done to him.

"I see. But I have heard that you race is one of the smartest in the galaxy, am I not correct?" When the albino nodded, the criminal carried on "So how is it, this 'snivelling moron' as you call him, has been able to best you time after time?"

He didn't miss the flash of mortification that possessed the red-eyed teenagers bright eyes. He could tell it was because he had obviously not been clever enough to devise a plan that was 'moron-proof'. It was common knowledge to the dark haired man, that Benjamin Tennyson had knack of messing your plans, not intentionally, but by simply not having enough intelligence to function as what classed as a normal human being.

Clearing his throat from the lump that had lodged itself in throat at the question that had being directed at him, Albedoe began to carefully word his answer, as not to give away anything that would turn him into a mockery.

"You see, Tennyson and I are more alike than just looks. He and I share the same fetishes and emotions towards certain things. He can tell what I have planned, what my next strike may be. Therefore any plan I conjure, he will always be able to counter it." He smirked at the speed he was able to come up with a stead fast lie.

Raising a thick, dark eyebrow at the boy in front of him, he couldn't help by let out amused chuckle. The albino really thought he could get away with such a transparent lie. He definitely was the exact duplicate of Ben.

"Okay, this may become useful later on when we need to locate said Tennyson. But as for now, I have another more pressing question for you. Why did you free me from the Null-Void? Why not someone like Vilgax or one of those other weakling villains who think they had the means necessary to defeat Benji?"

An immediate grimace washed its way over the albino's face at the mention of the green skinned conquer. To say their last attempt at working together to try and defeat the brunette was a disaster would be a considerable understatement. Ending up almost blown to bits by his ship, and left stranded on earth with the only way of gaining anyway of returning to his true form was to parade around as his twin, was not his idea of a good partnership.

"Let's just say, my partnership with Vilgax was blocked by a conflict of interests if you will. As for the others, I find them tiresome and ill-equipped for the job I require them to perform. You were the only one in my eyes that seemed fitting for the job; you definitely have an extensive history with Benjamin that is useful to our plan, if we are to succeed."

"As for breaking you out of that despicable place, it was simply child's play. The Null-Void is a dimension that spans across multiple parallel universes, making it easy for me to locate you. All I needed was a Null-Void projector to be able to enter, after locating said technology, I used a small sliver of DNA that I managed to acquire from this universes version of yourself to find you." The teen revealed, a proud smirk working its way on his face at the grin that spread across the leather-clad mans pale face.

A small drip of amazement and satisfaction seeped into the criminal's tenor, as he regarded the out-cast scientist. "I'm impressed, Albie." The albino visibly cringed at the use of such a childish nick-name "I must say I underestimated you. But no-more. With your link to Benji, and my power, we will be able to eradicate them with ease. Finally, revenge will be ours"

Turning his back on the ruby-eyed teen, he began to tell of his plans for their enemy. "We will strike when he is not ready, make sure he knows we are coming for him. He will suffer, as well as his retched little child. Come Albie, we survey them tonight, plan out our means of attack." With that, he began to head for the only door out of the large warehouse, his steps once again graceful.

Albedo smirked as he moved to follow the older male, his eyes alight with passion as he thought about what lay ahead.

The demise of Ben Tennyson and his team of lackeys.

* * *

_**A/N: There you go, a bit of Albie and friends! Hope you enjoyed. Also, you should really check out FallenOutTheWindows's story Feud. Its an amazing story written by my good friend Gemma, so check it out. **_

_**Don't forget to review **_

_**Sam x **_


	25. Unexpected Visit

**_A/N: I would like to once again like to apologize for the long break in updating. I have just been so busy with college and work that i havent had anytime to write. Added to the fact we lost our Rotti Danny to stomach cancer not that ago didn't help. I don't know when I am going to be able to update again, but hopefully if I get my act together it will be in a couple of weeks. _**

**_I would like to give a huge thanks to the ever supportive ETNRL4L who has helped me through the many ups and downs I face. Also to the three people who always make me smile when I feel like I can't, Gemma, Chazz and my Little Cherub Katie. All of you help me make the best of my life, and I cannot thank you enough for what you do. _**

**_Disclaimer: I own Ben 10 Biggest lie ever!_ **

* * *

Anger. It blazed through his veins, fogged over his mind as he glowered at the familiar wooden door. He only wished his gaze could meet the two people behind that door, the two people who he despised.

Forgiveness usually came easy to Ben. His best-friend was testament to that. But some things were past his the line of forgiveness, especially when it concerned his beloved Julie. They were her parents, the two people in the world that were supposed to protect their daughter, do what they could to make sure she was safe. Julie had trusted them, and they, in turn, threw that trust away to rot in the dirt. And after the disgraceful act of betrayal, he didn't feel they deserved to see their daughter let alone be a part of her life.

But this wasn't about him. It never had been. This was about Julie and their son. About what they needed. Many called him oblivious, but he didn't miss the flash of longing and sadness she got in those deep muddy brown eyes when she saw children playing with their grandparents, or the way she would whisper to her bump about how things were always going to be okay. Julie need her parents to be apart of her life, much like he needed his own. To make her go through such a life changing event without the two people who raised her would be an act of extreme cruelty on his part.

And Kenny. To have him growing up without knowing his grandparents, wondering why he never saw his mothers side of the family. Yes he would have Grandpa Max and his own parents, but he wanted Kenny to know his whole family. Not just the Tennyson side. That was why he was here. To make sure Julie and Kenny had two of the most important people in their lives, no matter how much he wished they wasn't.

Taking in a deep breath, he hid the furious anger that pulsed through his veins behind a blank mask. He refused to give the sadistic woman behind that door the satisfaction of knowing what he felt. Knocking on the door, he waited for an answer. It didn't take long for the sound of light footsteps to ring in his ears; it was obviously Mrs Yamamoto who was answering the door. The large wooden door opened slowly, revealing the gaunt face of one Mrs Michelle Yamamoto. Said face almost instantaneously warped into a vicious scowl once her dark eyes landed on the young mans pale and grim face.

The spite in her voice was clear as she addressed him. It seemed she still had yet to forgive him for taking her daughter away. "What do you want? Don't you think you have given us enough pain by taking our daughter away from us?"

Ben had to quell the need to send a disgusted sneer at the older woman. She was still ignorant enough to believe that it was his fault that they lost their daughter, when in fact it was their own selfish, narrow-mindedness that pushed her away. He spoke calmly as he addressed her, pushing away the need to make a snippy comeback to her accusation."Mrs Yamamoto, I am not here to argue, or to take abuse from you." The older woman let out a scoff and crossed her narrow arms over her chest, hazel eyes glowering at him as he continued.

"I am here to try and set things right."

"Well, we don't need help from a low-life menace. You've caused enough trouble already." she countered, and attempted to slam the door in his face. Thanks to years of fighting aliens, Ben's reflexes were amazingly quick and he was able to block the door with his foot before it closed. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper "Mrs Yamamoto. If you want even a sliver of a chance to he your daughter back I wouldn't be so quick to block out the only person that could help"

She seemed to contemplate his words for a second, before wrenching the door open with enough force to almost rip it off it's hinges. "Get in" she growled, narrowed eyes watching every move he made. The brunette couldn't help the smug smirk that made it onto his face.

Ben: 1

Mrs Yamamoto: 0

* * *

Silence enveloped the room as the stare-down continued between teen and adult. Ben's left leg twitched in anticipation as he glowered at the woman in front of him, while he waited for the father of his girlfriend to enter the living room. Ever since he had taken one step over the Yamamoto threshold, the older woman had kept her narrowed eyes directly on him. The brunette figured it was probably some kind of intimidation tactic she was trying to use on him so he would leave. Many villains had tried the same thing; it never worked. The only people that could get him to break with 'That' look were his mother, girlfriend and cousin.

After a few minutes of tense silence and angry incoherent mumbles from the Japanese woman, Mr Yamamoto entered the living-room. His face was a hard mask of anger, and disgust as he gazed down at the boy occupying his sofa. "Mr Tennyson. I hear from my wife you are here to discuss my daughter and our grandson?" The brunette nodded, and cleared his throat ready to explain what he had been mulling over in the car journey this morning. But before the teen had a chance to get a breath out, the sound of Julie's mother's high pitched voice pierced the air, making him mentally wince at the ringing it caused in his ears.

"What is there to discuss? He took our daughter away from us! He tainted her and almost got her killed! How is it that this boy is still allowed within a ten foot radius of our little girl?" The familiar feeling of unbridled anger towards the ignorant and disrespectful woman that called herself a mother, flooded through his body. The saviour of the universe clenched his fists in his lap, his knuckles turning a pale shade of ivory at the pressure. He kept a tight hold on his tongue for fear of lashing out towards the woman and telling her exactly what he felt. As much as he desperately wanted to, he figured it wouldn't win any brownie points with his girlfriend. Or his redheaded cousin for that matter.

Thankfully, it was Julie's father that came to his rescue. Sending a reproachful glare his wife's way, he finished off the speech he had been giving before he was so rudely interrupted. "Anyway, as I was saying. You have come try and help us make things up to our Julie?" The brunette nodded "So Mr Tennyson. How do you suppose we do that?"

* * *

Julie scanned the large open house nervously, her hand immediately coming up to rub her extended stomach in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. At 5 1/2 months pregnant, her baby bump was anything but small, but the ebony relished everyday she day she got to spend carrying the growing miracle she had been gifted with, even if it was a few years earlier than she wanted.

To say she didn't want to be here was an understatement. It had shockingly been Ben's idea to get everyone's parents together to discuss the current situation. Although, what wasn't surprising was the fact he seemed to be conveniently busy in the morning when the parents were about to arrive. A loud knock at the front door startled her, her body immediately jumping at the harsh sound.

"Calm down Jules, it's only the door" Gwen chuckled, shaking her head as she walked through the room to answer the door. Sending the redhead a glare, she crossed her arms over her chest and let out a disgruntled huff of air. She listened as her best-friend opened the door, by the happiness in her voice the ebony guessed her parents had finally arrived.

A lonely shiver ran down the girl's spine as she thought about her own parents. The way they had tried to kill her without even trying to save her. They were always so disapproving of every thing she did, especially when she and Ben started dating. Her mother had flown into a rage, telling her she could do so much better, that Ben was just some hopeless high-school dropout with a cool super powered watch that would eventually get her killed. Those words had stung Julie to her very core. The fact they felt so little for a boy they had only met briefly, that once again they were disappointed with what she was doing.

But she had out-right refused to split up with her green-eyed hero. After a long line of stuck up and judgemental boys who she could never be herself around for fear she would be singled out as 'Too Common' , she had found the boy, no man, who she could just finally let loose with. No longer did she have to hide her less appealing quirks, because Ben would always most definitely match her. He was her perfect match, her hero in a bright green jacket.

Looking down at her extended belly, she felt a true smile spring to her lips.

"Y'know, you and your daddy, you weren't really expected to come into my life. But you both came in with such a bang, its hard to think I ever could ever live without you. No matter how much my mother hates you, I will always love both of you"

Just then, Gwen and her parents entered the room. Her father, Frank Tennyson, looked rather pleased to be here, whereas his wife, Natalie Tennyson, looked as through she would rather jump into a pit of boiling lava than have to admit her perfect daughter was pregnant, and with an ex-cons baby too.

'S_he and my mother have so much in common', I bet they would get on like a house of fire picking out the bad decisions their baby girls have made' _the ebony thought bitterly to herself, but forced herself to smile at the older redhead.

"Daddy, Mom. You know Julie right? She's Ben's girlfriend."

Recognition immediately lit up the two faces, making Julie slightly wary about how they were going to handle that not only was their daughter pregnant but her cousin's girlfriend too.

"Oh yes, how are you Julie, my dear? Ben been treating you well?" Frank questioned a bright smile on his face as he moved to give the girl a handshake.

Smiling back, she felt a sense of relief flood through her system "Yes thank you, Mr Tennyson. Ben has been a true gentleman to me these past few weeks."

The older man chuckled "Hey Carl, you hear that? Ben has finally learnt what being a true gentleman is"

Ben's father pocked his head out of the kitchen from were he had been helping his wife prepare the lunch, to give his brother a mockingly insulted glare. "Very funny Frank. But your Kenny still has a lot to learn about girls. How many girlfriends has he had the past year? 6? 7?"

Frank playfully rolled his eyes at his brother "7, and to be fair, they were all to stuck up for their own good"

"At least they came from a decent background and didn't have a criminal record"

The vicious mumble was barley audible, but to everyone else it was like she had screamed it through a megaphone. All eyes sent scandalised looks to the oldest redhead, who sat nonchalantly on the sofa, her arms crossed angrily over her chest as she glared holes into the wall in front of her.

The boy who the nasty, demeaning comment had been directed at, stood stoically next to his girlfriend, his pale face flushed of any colour it may have. His eyes clouded over with anger, but also self-loathing and doubt. He believed her, even though she was undoubtedly wrong.

"Mother!" Her daughter hissed face flushed red from embarrassment and anger at the woman who had bore her. She couldn't comprehend how her mother could be so spiteful as to constantly bring up her boyfriends rocky path and judge him for the mistakes he had made.

Her mother just sent her an innocent and confused look, but the Anodite could see the small glimmer of satisfaction in the woman deep blue eyes of being able to work in another dig at the man that she felt was way below her 'Perfect' daughter's standards.

"What? I was just simply pointing out the fact that Ken has a better taste in partners that's all. I mean, at least he isn't going to be a parent at such a young age, with a freaks child no less"

Gwen made a disbelieving sound from the back of her throat as she stared wide eyed at the woman in front of her. There it was, her mothers opinion of the whole situation in black and white, making her feel as if she had committed the worst crime in the history of man.

Julie, who sat watching as the trouble unfolded, felt nausea begin to work its way up her throat. _"So this is what my mother thinks? That everyone else could do better than what I have, that my whole life is just one big mistake?" _The thought that her mother, the woman who she loved even after everything she had done, could think that everything she had strived so hard to achieve was a terrible mistake and resented her for the person she had become, made her want to run out the room and never come back.

Her stomach churned as the older woman's words rung in her head _"Has a better taste in partners" "At least he isn't pregnant a such a young age, and with a freaks child no less". _

Ben wasn't a freak. He was a true hero, sacrificing his life numerous times to make sure the universe lived another day. Even if he could change into 60+ aliens, it didn't class him as a freak. But those reasons wouldn't sway her mothers stubborn opinion, she would forever class him as the freak that came crashing into their perfect little life and stole their daughter away from them and turned her into just another _freak._

All other sounds of the ruckus around her died away into an almost silent murmur as that disgusting and degrading word scorched its way into her mind.

Freak, its what she was in the eyes of her mother. Those eyes that had once shone with pride at the perfect little girl she had created.

Vomit burned at the back of her throat as she pushed down the need to retch at the image that created. But it was all too much to take in, and she was forced to make a mad dash to the nearest bathroom.

Everything around her seemed to blur as she heaved into the toilet bowl. Those words, the truth behind everything, it consumed her entire being. She couldn't escape it, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself it couldn't possibly be true.

"_Julie"_

That sound, that voice, it stirred something inside her, but the nauseating feeling of regret and disappointment stopped her from recognising it.

"_Jules, are you okay? Come on talk to me"_

There it was again, calm, soothing. It was a voice she knew she would never tire of hearing. Turning her head from were it was hung over the porcelain bowl, her hazy brown eyes met a striking pair of forest green that swirled with concern as they gently brushed the stray strands of ebony from her sweating face.

"_Hey you okay? I came home and Gwen told me you had suddenly rushed off to the bathroom."_

Meekly nodding her head, she opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately forced to turn back as another round of heaving battered her sensitive stomach. Scooping up her dark locks, Ben gently rubbed circles on her back as his girlfriend heaved up her breakfast into the toilet bowl. He had to wonder what had set her off on such a violent reaction. It wasn't morning sickness, she hadn't suffered from that for over a month, added to the fact it wasn't even morning made him all the more suspicious.

It didn't take long for the vomiting to subside. Once she felt that her stomach wasn't going to empty it's contents again, she turned to face her concerned boyfriend. Sending him a weak smile, she attempted to play off the real reason she was sick.

"I'm guessing my stomach isn't quite used to such a large breakfast, huh?" She chuckled. Studying her now ashen features, the brunette could clearly see through the weak attempt at covering up the truth.

"Yeah, I guess so." he replied, and bent down to help his girlfriend off the tiled floor. Swaying slightly on her feet as she stood, she leant her weight against the brunette as dizziness fogged her vision. Wrapping a secure arm around the ebony's waist he sent a worried glance in the direction of the living room, were two unexpected people were waiting for them to emerge.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He questioned, watching her face for any sign she was lying. Sending him her most sincere smile, she rested a gentle hand on his warm cheek, her eyes looking deep into his own.

"Ben, I promise you I am fine! It's usual for pregnant women to create an intolerance to some foods. Now come on, everyone will be wondering what wrong" she reassured. Breaking away from his secure grip, she headed back towards the group of family situated in the main lounge.

Blinking a few times, he quickly scrambled after his girlfriend, hoping to get to her before she reached her parents.

Walking through door way, Julie plastered a fake smile on her face to hide the fear that she still felt. She would now have to sit in a room to be judged by her boyfriend and best friends parents as they decided what to do with their wayward children that were just another 'Bad apple in the bunch' as her mother would say. She wouldn't have known what she would have done if her mother had been here, telling the others how disappointed she was, how their kids had tainted her own perfect little child.

So when she saw her mother and father sitting on the large three seater sofa next to Ben's own parents, idly chatting away without a care in the world, she almost fell over in shock.

"Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?"

* * *

_**A/N: This will be continued on next chapter, but i thought it was a good idea to stop here. Don't forget to review! **_

_**Miss Levin Lover**_


	26. Preview

_**A/N: Okay, seeing as it is my 18th birthday this wednesday, I'd thought I'd give you all a preview of the new editied chapter 2 I have been working on for a while. Now, unfortunely writing is going to be taking a backseat for a while. I'm still going to be writing when I can, but updates are going to be rare. I have also taken on two new projects, KittyAbz story and readergirl96's story: Gone. These will also be updated by me sometime. **_

_**Also If you have time, check out my DeviantArt page, I'm not a good artist but I do try. The username is: Sammyantha221. **_

_**To ETRNL4L, please take care of yourself my dear! Get recovered and then start doing what you want**_.

* * *

Another morning broke over the land, the bright sun rising into to the clear blue sky, its warm rays sweeping over the once winter bound land and bringing nature to life. Spring had finally begun and it couldn't come at a better time.

Shifting in her sleep, Julie felt the strong arms she was cocooned in wrap themselves tighter around her slender body. A sigh of content left her soft pink lips as she snuggled in deeper to her boyfriend chest, its gentle rise and fall lulling her back into slumber.

It was 15 minutes later when she was jolted awake by the blaring sound of her alarm clock radio as it belted out her favourite station. Groaning, she stuck her arm out in the direction of said device and began to grope around wildly in an attempt to shut the blasted thing off. After randomly hitting several things off her bedside table as she tried to blindly turn off the clock, her hand finally struck her target, silencing the radio and once again letting peace settle in the small room.

Closing her eyes, Julie got ready to fall back into the wonderful dream she was having before she was so rudely interrupted, when a low chuckle reverberated through her human pillow and a hand came up to gently run it's calloused fingers through her soft, ebony locks.

"Morning princess" Ben whispered into her ear, enjoying the small shiver that erupted down his girlfriends body as his breath tickled her skin.

"Mornin'" She mumbled, her slurred voice muffled by the boy's black, cotton shirt.

Another low chuckle rumbled through his chest at the girl's lackadaisical response. She never was much of a morning person…

"Are we going to be getting up anytime soon?" He questioned tauntingly, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he gently ghosted his hand up her side till he reached what he had dubbed as her "Tickle Spot".

"Maybe, depends if I feel like it. I might just stay in bed all day and use you as a human pillow" She joked, her arms clinging to him tightly she tried to drift back off to sleep.

The brunette let out a fake, shocked gasp "Why, is _the_ great Julie Yamamoto, who hasn't missed a single day of school, thinking about skipping class? I guess Daddy was right, I _am_ a bad influence!" he teased.

He felt her smile against his chest, a small giggle making its way from were she was pressed tightly against his body "Well, I'm sure one day couldn't hurt. I mean, who needs to find out how the body keeps itself at a regular temperature in different habitats when you can test the theory on your own personal radiator?" she weakly defended, trying to hide her face in his chest so she wouldn't have to move.

"Or…" he mused, his face morphing into one of mockingly deep thought "I could tickle you till you move…"

At the mention of the dreaded 'T' word, the ebony's head shot up from its position, her frightened hazel eyes locking with her boyfriends emerald ones that were sparkling with mirth.

"You wouldn't dare…" she trailed off, eyes narrowing as she studied her boyfriends evil lopsided smirk.

"Try me" He playfully growled and immediately began to let his fingers roam over her sensitive sides. Letting out a squeak of fear, she desperately tried to move away from the boys wiggling fingers. But it was to no avail, using his superior strength and quick reflexes; he grabbed her by the waist and threw her back down on the bed, her body making a soft thump as she hit the mattress.

"Ben, no don't!" She tried to plead, but it fell on deaf ears as he straddled her and began to ruthlessly tickle the life out of her. Erupting into uncontrollable fits of laughter, Julie kept up with her attempt to get away from her boyfriend torturous fingers, desperately trying to push him off. But being much heavier than the Japanese-American, it was a fruitless effort.

The ebony's cheeks flushed as she gasped for air, her cackling laughter mingling with the heartfelt laughter of the brunette as he continued to tickle her into submission.

"Are we going to get up" He chuckled, his fingers moving away from her sides so she could answer.

"Okay, Okay I'll get up!" she gasped out, her chest heaving as she drew in air to her burning lungs.

"I can't hear you…" he teased and once again ran his wiggling fingers down her sides, causing a loud cackle to escape the girl's throat.

"I'm getting up! I'm getting up!" she cried out in-between bouts of infectious laughter.

Relenting, he looked down at the girl underneath him. Her usually soft pale cheeks tinted pink from laughter, deep hazel eyes glittering like the clear midnight sky, hair fanned out behind her like a flowing river of ebony. It was stingingly clear to Ben, that she was probably the most breath-taking, beautiful thing he had seen. No goddess could ever hold a candle to what lay underneath him, for she was the epitome of perfection.

Placing his hands either side of her head, the brunette leant down to rub noses, his lips brushing tantalizingly close to hers.

"You're so beautifully perfect" he breathed against her lips, sending a pleasurable shiver down the girl's petite form. Julie let her eyes begin to slide shut as she immersed herself in the feel of her boyfriends body pressed so closely to her own. Parting her lips she leaned up slightly to capture his soft lips in a quick kiss.

The feel of his lips against her's set something off in Ben. Without a thought, he meshed his lips against her's in a fiery kiss. Responding eagerly, the ebony wrapped her thin arms around the heroes' strong neck, effectively crushing him to her. Feeling slightly bold, Julie snaked her tongue in his mouth, starting of a war for dominance she had no chance of winning.

Minutes felt like second to the pair as they lost themselves to their senses. Both drinking up as much as each other before they were forced to part and go back to being drawn apart by their hobbies. Cracking one emerald eye open to glance at the clock that lay on the wooden bedside table to his left, he almost chocked on his own spit. Realising they only had half an hour left to get ready for school; he regrettably tried to pull himself away from his girlfriends tantalizing lips that moved against his in a way he couldn't begin to describe.

Unfortunately for him, the small ebony wasn't ready to let him go that easily. Every time he would try to pull away, she would pull him in closer, pressing her body to his in way's that made his head spin. Letting out a feral growl against her lips, he slowly slid his hands down her sides.

"_If she's going to play dirty…"_

With a short jab of his index finger, he poked her in her side, causing her to let out a squeal of surprise and spring out from underneath him. Heartfelt chuckles immediately sprung from the brunette's slightly bruised lips at the sight of his girlfriend. Whirling round to face him, Julie sent her boyfriend an annoyed glare whilst brushing a few strands of ebony that had fallen and were obscuring her vision.

"Way to kill the moment there, Ben" she huffed and moved to get off the large double bed. Quelling his laughter, Ben snaked his arms around her waist, effectively blocking her attempts to move away. Pulling her into his chest, he trailed kissed up her neck until her reached her ear, earning a pleasured moan from the ebony.

"Time to get ready for school" He whispered, a grin spreading to his lips when he heard the girl in his arms groan in disappointment.

"I don't want to go to school" she whined in a child like manner, causing the male teen to let out a husky chuckle.

"You may not want to, but dear old Mommy and Daddy won't be too happy that their perfect little Julie skipped class because she wanted to spend time rolling in bed with Ben Tennyson: Teenage alien menace." He teased.

Letting out a defeated huff and letting her shoulders slump, the tennis player grumbled out an angry "Fine!" before reluctantly peeling herself out of her boyfriend's secure and comforting grip. Setting her feet onto the carpeted floor below, she started her trek to the en-suite bathroom.

Ben watched as Julie made her way to the bathroom, the swing of her curvy hips sending him into a dream like state. He never had figured out how he had managed to sweep her off those perfect little feet. But whatever way he had, he never regretted a single moment of it.

Pulling himself from the springy mattress, he winced at the small burning sensation that shot through his side. Rolling up his shirt, he spotted the wound he had acquired the night before, the flesh around the incision red raw and the wound itself weeping slightly as it tried to heal. Dried blood had crusted around the edge making it hard to spot what was the cut and what was skin.

He'd forgotten about that…

Quickly tugging down his shirt, he cast a quick glance toward where he had last seen a flash of ebony disappear behind the ivory wooden door. Seeing that the door was still firmly shut and the sound of running water could be heard, he let out a sigh of relief and turned his gaze back to the floor.

After a quick search for his pants that he had discarded after practically being forced to stay the night, he snatched them up from the floor, another twinge of burning pain blooming from his side at the sudden movement. Grunting in annoyance at his body's inadequacy of handling such minuscule wounds, he pulled on his pants and slipped his sock clad feet into his worn black and white converses.

Practically leaping from the bed, he lifted his left arm, his side protesting once again at the small movement and selected the correct alien. Slamming his palm down, he was bathed in a green light as his body shifted and groaned as his human body morphed into one of a male Necrofriggian. Hissing out the creature's name, he turned intangible and disappeared through the window.

Pulling up at the school gates, Ben felt the ever present ache in his side worsen. Upon arriving home, he had discovered the wound had become infected and had reopened slightly. Luckily, some of the heavy painkillers that Gwen had forced him to take were still his system, so he hadn't noticed it much while he was a Julie's. But now it had started to wear off, leaving a painful cramping sensation to ripple through his side at any sudden and active movement.

Turning off the engine with a simple flick of his wrist, he slumped tiredly in his seat. How long could he carry on like this? Pretending everything was okay, acting like the injuries he sustained meant nothing. He had to lie to his girlfriend, his family. What kind o hero was he if he had to lie to he people who had helped him get to were he was today?

"Ben? Are you okay?"

Snapping his head towards the sound of the voice, his green eyes settled on Julie, who was sat in the passenger seat, her soft features showing her deep concern for her boyfriend who seemed so tired and lost, nothing like the hyperactive and bright teen that she knew and adored.

"Oh yeah. I'm fine, just thinking that's all" He reassured his lip quirking up into a small smirk.

Letting a smirk settle on her lips, the tennis player used her quick wit to turn his words against him. "Don't think too hard. Y'know what Kevin always says will happen if you try and exert yourself"

The joke had its desired effect, making the hero chuckle "Yeah, I know. Although, Kev can't talk. He has the same problem. You should have seen him try to figure out how to use the new washing machine his mother brought him. Man that was better than TV!" Both teens erupted into laughter at the images the memory provoked. Somewhere in the distance the familiar sound of the school bell tolled, dragging the two out their laughter and bringing them back into the realm of reality. Stepping out the car, they both headed towards the large two-storey white buildings were they received their education.

Thankfully for the teenage hero, the day didn't drag on too much. The first three periods which consisted of Math, English Literature and World History, seemed to fly by with only a few protests from the cut on his side.

Walking out of his World History class, he headed down the long plain white hallway which had numerous lockers lining its walls to meet Julie. A smile graced his lips as he spotted the flash of ebony by were his locker was situated. Picking up his pace, he weaved his way through the mass of students to get to her.

So preoccupied was he with trying to get to his girlfriend, he missed the group of jocks that were rushing down the hall until one forcefully pushed him out their way in a one man stampede to get to the football field.

Ben slammed into the metal lockers with a loud crash, a groan escaping his lips as a paralysing pain blossomed from his side. He held his side as he slid to the floor. His legs no longer able to hold his body as uncontrollable pain burned through his nervous system like lava. His head spun and vision blurred as his chest heaved to draw in oxygen. Something wet and warm seeped through his fingers as he held his lesion and he barely was able to register that it may just be blood.

"Ben!"

Hearing the panicked cry, he turned unfocused emerald rings to his girlfriend who was rushing down the hall desperate get to her fallen boyfriend. Reaching him, her concerned chocolate eyes immediately spotted the large patch of blood that seeped through his cotton shirt, staining the white material a deep shade of crimson. Letting out a gasp, she quickly inspected him for any other injuries.

"Ben? Ben can you hear me?" She shook him gently, trying to get his attention. Flickering his eyes to her concerned face, he let a weak smile tug at his pale lips.

"Well this was certainly unexpected huh?" he joked, earning a glare from the ebony. Just then another spasm of pain racked is body, causing him to double over. He let out a groan of agony and clutched as his side, desperately wishing for it to dissipate.

Seeing her boyfriend's distress, the tennis player deduced it would be better to get him up of the floor and out of school before trying to sort out the wound. It briefly crossed her mind that se should go and grab the school nurse, but she dismissed that thought as quickly as it came. If Ben's parents found out he had been injured and was having to take time out of school, they would ban him from Plumber duties till he was fit enough to do both. Which although she agreed with them, she also knew that alien sightings and attacks had been at a high these past few weeks and with Ben out the picture, Gwen and Kevin wouldn't be able to cope on their own.

Dropping her pink backpack on the floor, she removed her pink sweatshirt and tied it around his torso to try and staunch the blood the blood flow. Then, wrapping his arm round his shoulders and hers round his back, she helped him up of the floor. The brunette's face twisted into a pained grimace at the pain that shot through his system from the movement.

Slowly they began to make their way down the hallway toward the large double doors that led out to the car park. A few students sent the pair a questioning look as they hobbled by, but they were all but ignored by Julie who concentrated on getting her wounded boyfriend out of this place and back to his.

It wasn't long before they reached the double doors, but the effort had left the brunette panting and sweating profusely. Taking a quick look at where his injury was, she noted that blood had started seeping through her jacket. Picking up her pace, she ushered the boy forward, offering words of comfort when a groan of pain would escape his lips, or he would ask for a break.

When they reached the green and black vehicle, Julie gently eased him into the passenger seat. After making sure he was secure, she made her way to the driver's side. Luckily, she had passed her driving test a year before, with help from Ben. Only problem was, she hadn't driven something as powerful as his car since he had begun teaching her. She hoped she could remember all she had taught her.

The drive to the brunette's house was somewhat smooth, with Julie only making a few minor mistakes. Pulling up the curb, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and checked the boy beside her. There was a medium sized patch of blood soaked through her jacket which showed the bleeding had slowed to some extent. Sweat lined his brow, his eyes were foggy and unfocused and his breath short and raspy. Julie could tell he was in a bad state, but she wondered how he had managed to deteriorate so rapidly. He had been fine this morning, or so she thought. But maybe he had just been putting on a brave face. It wouldn't be the first time that he'd hidden his wounds from battles, playing them off if they were merely chicken scratches. To say it worried her would be a gross understatement. She was terrified that one day he was going to just ignore the pain and the injury and end up causing himself irreparable damage or getting himself killed because he was to weak to fight. It was bad enough he was fighting aliens, knowing he could possibly be fighting them while he was injured made her want to keep him from ever using the watch. A lone tear broke through her lashes and rolled down her cheek, her chest caving in with the thought of losing the stubborn headed, egotistical and childish teen that had stolen her heart. So many times he had come close; sometimes it had been just too close. Scrubbing the tear from her face, she took a deep calming breath to compose herself. Ben needed her now. If she didn't act fast she really would lose him. Leaping from the driver's seat, she scrambled round to the passenger side. Flinging the door open, she undid the boy's seat belt and gently helped him out the car. The teenage hero was unsteady on his legs due to the pain that racked his nervous system and had to lean against his girlfriend heavily for support. The usually short trip to his front door felt like a mile as he forced his body to move through its agonising protests. Once inside, the Asian-American led the brunette down the short hallway to his bedroom. Kicking open the door, she manuvered her way through the ever growing mess to his bed. Setting him down, she scurried of to his bathroom to grab the emergency first aid kit he kept for when a battle turned particularly nasty. She was almost certain Gwen and Kevin also had invested in one, they always seemed to be the ones that came back bruised and scratched. Shaking herself out of her musings, she made her way back to her boyfriend who lay on his bed, one hand clutching his side while the other covered his face as he let out a groan of agony. "It's okay Ben" she soothed "I'll clean it and make sure it's fine."

"I'm fine, I promise. You don't need to do this" he weakly protested and attempted to sit up. He was immediately stopped by Julie who placed both hands on his chest and pushed him back down onto the bed. "No Ben. For once admit your hurt and let me take care of you. If I don't sort that out your either going to die from blood loss or an infection will set in" She told him sternly, muddy brown eyes daring him to say otherwise.

Seeing his girlfriend was determined and he had no chance of winning this fight, he relented. Laying back down, he grit his teeth ready for the searing pain he knew was about to come.

Peeling off her now blood stained jumper, she placed it underneath the gash just in case it started bleeding again. Rolling up his cotton shirt, she had to resist the urge to gasp. The wound looked horrible. It was deep and was weeping blood and puss, a sign it was infected. The skin around it was red raw and was obviously irritated from the infection.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she got to work on trying to sort out the mess that was her boyfriend's side. Julie thanked her lucky stars she had taken the first aid class back when she was 16. The knowledge she had learned had come in handy more than once when ever boyfriend and his team mates had taken one two many beatings from their enemies. Although, she doubted her tutor would have known that she was going to be using it for more than just scrapes and bruises. With a cotton swap and some antiseptic she began the delicate task of cleaning the wound and the excess blood that had dried along his side. Ben was being a good patient, with only a few hisses of pain escaping his parted lips. But the ebony could tell he was struggling with the pain. His eyes were screwed tightly shut and his face twisted into one of agony as sweat poured down his pale face, mingling with the tears that had managed to seep through his closed lids. It tore at her heart to see him like this. So weak and in so much pain. Tears burned at the back of her vision as she kept her eyes trained on what she was doing. Her heart lodged in her throat as she uncovered more and more of the septic legion that marred the Ultimatrix wielders side. I occurred to her that he'd kept it hidden it from her. It was obvious that this hadn't happened today since the infection had been able to spread to most of the incision. But why? She knew that he would sometimes hurt. More than once she'd had to rush over to patch him up. A cry of agony cut through her musing, scaring her enough to make her jump slightly and snap her gaze towards her boyfriends face. Noting his distress, she gripped his hand in her own and used her free hand to brush away his caramel bangs from his sweaty forehead. "I'm sorry, it's okay. I know it hurts, but you've managed to get it infected" she told him soothingly. He turned his head to look at her. His green eyes were fogged with pain, tears running freely down his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, his voice choked and raspy "Sorry." Julie turned her head away, unable to look at him as rage began to bubble in her veins. It was too late to say sorry. Sorry wasn't going to heal the wound on his side; it wasn't going to ease the fears that gripped her soul. Sorry didn't mean anything unless you meant it. Pulling her hand away from his, Julie continued her work, pushing away her feelings and concentrating on the work in hand. Now was not the time to get emotional. Once she felt that the gash was clean enough, she removed the stitching kit from the first aid box. After sterilising the needle, she gently grabbed each side of the wound with her index finger and thumbs and slowly began to push them together to make it easier for her to stitch it up. The motion caused the green eyed boy to let out a pained cry. He fisted the sheets beneath him as he made a pitiful whimper through his gritted teeth.

Working swiftly, she stitched the incision with skills that rivalled that of a surgeon. As she worked, the cries from the hero seem to silence. Taking a quick glance up, she discovered the poor boy had passed out. The burning pain from his side too much to handle in his weakened state. Finishing off, she snipped off the excess thread. Placing the needle back, she grabbed the gauze and bandages.

It didn't take long to wrap up the now closed wound. Tying off the two ends of the bandage; she removed her blood stained jumper from underneath him and packed away the medial supplies. Looking over at were she had placed her jumper; she let out a disappointed sigh. She had loved that jumper; it was lovely pastel blue with a tiger decoration stitched up the side. It had actually been a present from Ben, coincidently enough because he'd managed to ruin her pink one. She could feel a trend coming on here…

Picking up the now unusable piece of clothing, she headed back to the en-suite bathroom. Dropping her jacket in the sink, she placed the first aid kit back in its special hiding place behind the toilet (Sandra never dared enter the boy's bathroom, let alone wonder what was behind the toilet). Grabbing a, somewhat clean, hand towel, she wetted it slightly before heading back out to her unconscious patient.

Walking over, she quietly sat beside him, her thumb gently caressing his pale cheek as he slept peacefully. No matter how angry she got at him or how much of a jerk he could be, she could never leave him. He had become too much of her to just walk away.

Brushing away his soft caramel bangs from his forehead, she placed a soft kiss to his sweaty forehead. It wasn't his fault he got injured, he was trying to keep Bellwood and the world safe. She only wished that he would tell her, instead of having to watch him suffer in pain like now. Lying and brushing it off as nothing made her feel as if he didn't trust her enough to tell her, that she wasn't important enough to know about the battles he fought.

Placing the damp towel across she burning forehead, she sat quietly, running her fingers through his soft caramel locks as she watched him sleep. All thoughts of school or aliens flew from her mind as she studied her boyfriends face. Since that first time at the soccer pitch, she had known he was something special. No one else made her heart flutter and her body react in such way like he did. Once simple kiss could leave her speechless for minutes as she processed the soft feel of his lips against her own.


	27. Reunited

_**A/N: I know, I know. It's been months since I last properly updated this story. But I have my reasons. Recently I moved ou my parents house after having a massive bust up with my mother. Also, I struggle daily with depression. Sometimes it's alright and I wave it off, but then are the bad days were I end up in some dark pit of my mind wondering why someone hasn't killed me off yet because I'm a waste of air. This is added to my lack of appetite and stomach cramps has demished my inspiration. I do have some other stories to finish and post, but till I feel better, I will be taking my time. **_

_**I am sorry for the lack of updates and poor quality of the story.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't. Even. Bother.  
**_

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"Mum, Dad. Why are you here?"

The spite that laced Julie's voice was evident as her muddy brown eyes narrowed at the two un-welcomed guests. She didn't want them here. In fact, it wouldn't really faze her if she never saw them again. What they had done was beyond unforgivable.

"Sweetie" her mother started, moving closer to her daughter as she looked at her with guilt ridden hazel eyes. Reaching out, she moved to grab her daughter's hand. But before she could, the ebony took a step back, an insulted sneer warping her soft features.

Julie could clearly see the hurt the flittered across her mother aged face at her reaction. However, she couldn't bring herself to care. After everything they had done, to think they could walk in and expect her to run back to them sent rage swirling through her veins.

"Julie Mai. Please, we just want to sort this out. I don't want to lose my daughter over some stupid, immature boy" she continued in what she interpreted as a sincere tone. At the rude and demeaning comment from the older ebony, the whole room turned insulted glares at the woman. How dare she degrade their family member like that!

A disbelieving scoff erupted from the tennis player as she crossed her arms heatedly over her chest. "You never change do you Mom? Always judging and never satisfied. No wonder Aunt Mai can't stand you!"

The older woman recoiled at her daughter's cruel words, tears swimming in her deep brown eyes. Never had Julie spoken to her like that. Satisfaction bubbled up inside the Japanese-American teen at the way her words had struck a cord with her mother. But she wasn't going to stop there. Almost 3 years she had been waiting to tell her mother what she thought. This time she wasn't going to be holding back.

"And that 'stupid, immature boy' you are so rudely insulting, I would like to point out, has spent the last 7 years of his life saving this planet and the whole universe. In fact, I'm pretty sure he has saved your life more times than you would like to think about. Ben is what makes me happy. Ego, weird watch and all. So maybe you should bite down on that spiteful little tongue of yours and let me live my life. Because at this moment, you really aren't part of it."

Her body was trembling with rage by the time she had finished. Closing her eyes and taking some calming breaths, she reached behind her to intertwine fingers with her brunette hero. Rubbing his thumb over her soft knuckles, he sent a look to her parents.

Her mother was in bits. Tears were rolling down her alabaster cheeks as she stared wide eyed and hurt at her only daughter. Her father had his arm wrapped around her shoulders as he sent a pleading look to the hero. Sighing, he leant forward to whisper in his girlfriend's ear. "Jules, can we talk. Please?"

Turning to face him, the ebony sent his a confused look. "Please?" he tried again, silently begging with those captivating emerald eyes. Nodding slightly, she followed him out the room. Only turning back round to send a worried glace to her red-haired best-friend who seemed to be in a glaring match with her own mother.

Once the two teens were out the room, Natalie couldn't help but give her two-cents into the current family dilemma that was playing out in front of them. Distaste was evident in her tone "I understand how you feel about your daughter running off with some boy that may or may not break your daughter's heart. But I would have thought you would have had more sense than to insult him in front of his family. I'm just glad that at least one good apple came out of such a putrid bunch."

"Mother!" her daughter hissed, turning pleading eyes to her father in an attempt to try and rein in the overly opinionated redhead. Seeing his daughter desperation, Frank placed a large hand on his wife's shoulder, diverting her attention away from were she was coldly glaring at the Yamamoto's.

"Lily, please. Let's not cause an argument. This is between Julie and her parents"

The woman scoffed. "Please Frank. I'm not just going to sit here and let this degrading filth insult our nephew, no matter how much of an egotistical Neanderthal he is. And from what I heard, they tried to kill off their own daughter because she was pregnant with his child! I mean, I don't like the fact that…" she waved her hand in Kevin's direction "He is going to be the father of my grandchild, whatever mutated state it may come out in. But you don't see me trying to knock off my child!"

The statement caused multiple gasps to resonate through the room. Everyone present sent scandalised glares to the older redhead, who brushed them off without the slightest care.

And of course, that's when the war between families began…

* * *

Outside, the two teens could hear the commotion that had erupted in the room they had currently occupied. Julie sent a worried glace to the direction they had just come from as she heard her mothers insulted voice scream out words she had rarely heard her use.

"Do you think they'll be alright in there?" She directed the question the brunette that was currently dragging her towards the direction of his bedroom. He too sent a worried glace back at the living room as he heard his own mother screech out something he couldn't quite make out. He shrugged his shoulders "Dunno. Maybe they'll all end up killing each other. Hopefully Gwen will stop them before…"

He was stopped short when he heard his cousin voice cry out "FOR CHRIST SAKE PEOPLE! YOUR ADULTS NOT CHILDREN! HAVE SOME DAMN DIGNITY!"

His eyes widened slightly as the shouting and cussing intensified following the Anodite's outburst. Sighing, he let his shoulders droop "Okay, so maybe that's out the question but still, I'm sure they'll be fine."

Sending the brunette a disbelieving look, the ebony couldn't help the sadistic smirk that split her normally placid features "Oh yeah! Because leaving your Aunt Natalie in a room with, not only your mother who I'm pretty sure she disapproves of and my own mother who is exactly like her, is such a wonderful idea. I just hope your wallpaper is wipe-clean, because I'm pretty sure blood is definitely going to be spilt" she drawled out sarcastically.

Ben couldn't help but chuckle at that. She was right after all. His Aunt Natalie had a very _colourful_ opinion of the way Sandra and Carl had decided to raise him and loved pointing out the differences between himself and Gwen. That was the main reason why they never really spent holidays together. It would almost always end up with the two women screaming at each other with their hands firmly clamped around each others necks while their fathers desperately tried to pry them away from each other. There certainly wasn't a lack of entertainment on holidays, that's for sure.

It was when they reached his bedroom and he shut the door that the incessant screeching of the females that occupied the living room was silenced. Letting out relieved sighs, both teens dropped to the soft mattress of the bed.

Turning to his girlfriend, he softly stroked her cheek "Are you okay Jules?" his eyes scrutinized her face that was twisted into a split between confusion and anger. Her deep muddy eyes were glazed over and swirling with emotion as she snapped her gaze to him, her ebony locks falling over her shoulder like an endless onyx river.

"How am I supposed to feel Ben?!" she unintentionally bit back "The two people I trusted with my life tried to kill me for their own selfish gain. Now they have come crawling out of whatever hole they retreated to, to try and beg for my forgiveness as if it never happened!"

Her fisted clenched at her side as she felt the rage from before build up inside her. She didn't want to lose it with her boyfriend. He was only trying to help and at this moment, she really needed it.

"I know and in my own opinion I don't think they have any right to be in your life after what they did. But, Jules." he paused for a moment to stare deep into her eyes, his emerald burning into her brown with ferocity "You need them. No matter how much you try and convince yourself that you don't. To go through something so life changing as having a child without the woman who made you the beautiful and independent person you are today isn't fair to you"

"But Ben…" she started, tears welling up in her eyes. The brunette cut her off before she could finish his tone serious "Julie Mai Yamamoto. Stop trying to goad yourself to believing that they don't mean anything to you anymore. I can see that your parents mean the world to you. I saw all those times that you would cry yourself to sleep in bed staring at your family photos. Just please try. You don't have to forgive them; you just have to be civil"

Ben gently wiped away the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes with his thumb. Leaning forward he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and pulled her into his arms. "I know this is hard" he whispered softly "But you and I know its for the best" He felt her nod against his chest and inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't want this war to carry on, even if it was justified. He just wanted to be a, somewhat, normal family. A normal family who spends Christmas together and can stay in a room for longer than 5 minutes without trying to kill each other. The brunette had lived most his life with his own mother and aunt tearing at each other every time they came in contact, he didn't want the same to happen for Kenny and Gwen and Kevin's child. It wasn't fair to them.

Pulling away from his girlfriend, he placed a soft butterfly kiss to her nose "Stay here for a second; I'm going to see if I can calm everyone down." Nodding her head in agreement, she brushed a few of the stray tears that continued to roll down her cheeks and sent her boyfriend a loving and grateful smile "Thank you"

"No problem" he replied, sending her a smile back. That smile faded as soon as he stepped out the room however, as he glared in the direction of the living room, were the sounds of shouting could still clearly be heard.

* * *

"So you honestly believe our son is just some, immature and selfish dimwit! "

"Yes! He ruined our little girl! If it wasn't for him she could be in a top rated college with a proper gentleman!"

"Well I never! All he has ever done is put his life at risk to help ungrateful parasites like you!"

Sandra stepped forward, fist clenched and jaw locked as her light green eyes sent daggers at her son's girlfriend's mother. Never before had such hatred for one woman swirled inside her, not even for Natalie. But when her son was brought into the fight, that's when she snapped.

The living-room door slammed open, diverting everyone's attention to the livid teen that stood in the door-way. His narrowed emerald eyes swept around everyone present as he addressed them.

"Listen up" He tone held no nonsense, immediately causing everyone to stop and listen "I have had it with the bickering and fighting. For once act like the adults you are and think about what your kids need. Do you really want your grandkids growing up listening to you argue and scream at each other? Afraid to say anything in case they set another fight off?"

When no-one spoke up, the brunette carried on "Exactly" he turned his gaze to the slightly surprised Mrs Yamamoto "Now, Mr and Mrs Yamamoto. I have spoken to Julie. She is willing to be civil and allow you to be part of our child's life."

A disgusted scoff was heard from the eldest redhead, making everyone turn to face her.

"Problem Aunt Natalie?" Ben questioned, green eyes just daring for her to say something.

"Problem? No. I just think it is morally wrong to let two attempted murders anywhere near a child. But, do as you wish" she replied back easily, a smug smile pulling at her lips.

"Now you listen here you factious bint…" the older ebony stepped forward threateningly, ready to chew out the insulting woman. But she was stopped when a hand rested on her shoulder. Looking behind, her gaze met the burning green eyes of her daughter's boyfriend.

"I'll handle this Mrs Yamamoto"

Nodding, she went back to standing beside her unusually quiet husband.

"Aunt Natalie. I know you have your views on what is right and what is wrong. But this matter doesn't concern you. It is mine and Julie's choice. I want my child to have the best in life. If that means accepting Mr and Mrs Yamamoto and all their faults, I am willing to do it. I have made many mistakes, but this is one I am not going to make. So you either go with it, or get out."

The older redhead looked positively outraged at her nephew's speech. She looked towards her daughter, who had her arms crossed over her chest, an expectant look on her face. Turning to face her husband, she noticed he also seemed to agree with the brunette. She couldn't believe it! Did they not see what she saw?

"Benjamin!" Sandra tried to scold, but could help the pride that seeped into her voice. She had been waiting for one of the children to stand up to the pompous woman for years. She was just glad that she was here to witness it.

Ben turned to his mother an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry mom. But I don't want this family torn apart anymore. When was the last time we spent Christmas together?"

The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but the hero cut her off "As a whole family? With Grandpa Max?" His mother stuttered for a second before averting her gaze ashamed. Her son was right, every year they rarely saw each other. Max was always off driving round the country and Natalie was too busy hosting parties for her upper class friends.

"Exactly Mum! For once, I just want to be able to spend time with everyone, I want Kenny to see his whole family and to have happy holidays without everyone tearing at each others throats. Is that too much to ask?" he asked exasperated. The whole situation was draining and he just really wanted to get it over with.

The older woman sent him a guilt-ridden look, a small remorseful smile tugging at her thin lips. "No, its not. And maybe your right. Christmas is a time for family and we haven't been following that rule" She stood up from he seat and walked towards her son "I know this has been hard to for sweetie and I'm sorry for having to put you through this" She raised a hand to brush it against the boy's cheek. "But from now on, I promise we will spend holidays together. As a family" She looked at the Yamamoto's, a bright smile on her face "That includes everyone"

Ben sent his mother a grateful look and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, whispering an enthusiastic "Thank you!" in her ear.

"Mum, Dad?" A small voice from the door-way called out. Pulling away from were he was hugging his mother, Ben turned to face his girlfriend. Her slightly puffy eyes were locked onto her parents, those deep brown depth swirled with sadness and longing. The Yamamoto's moved forward, but before they got two steps Julie had launched forward and enveloped them both in a hug. Her body shock with sobs as she clutched them both tight.

Ben had been right. She missed her parents; she missed the comfort and security. She was terrified at what the future held, with the baby and her relationship. She needed her mother there to reassure her that everything would be fine and to give her advice.

"I'm sorry baby. We were so wrong." the older ebony whispered "You are the best thing that ever happened to us. We are going to love our grandchild and spoil him rotten"

Julie couldn't help but chuckle through the tears at what her mother had said. Sandra and Carl had already discussed with them how they were going to buy Kenny all these toys. Add her parents, by the time the boy was 10 he would have enough toys to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

Watching his girlfriend interact with her parents sent a warm feeling surging through the Tennyson boy's chest. Knowing his girlfriend was finally going to be a lot happier brought a smile to his face. Looking at his cousin and best-friend, he noted the happy smiles on their faces at the sight of the reunited family.

Maybe now they could finally get their happy ending.

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_**A/N: Once again, I apologize.**_**_ Please review, no matter what you thought.  
_**

**_Miss Levin Lover  
_**


	28. Burning Revenge

_**A/N: Finally finished this chapter! I know you guys have waited for what seems like forever for me to update and I apologize. But real life keeps getting in the way. Hoping to have a one-shot up soon if I get time. **_

_**This chapter is for the brilliant ETNRL4L who has been my rock when I was about to shatter. Thank you for everything. **_

_**Edit: Have changed a few things that really needed fixing. I also want to thank Cloemcg and Count Kulalu for the wonderful reviews they left me. And thank you to everyone who has review favoured or is following my story.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I can't be bothered…**_

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On a rooftop next to the Tennyson boy's residence, a dark figure clad in only thick black leather sat crouched, his body hidden by the shadows of the setting sun as they danced across the suburban landscape. Those deep onyx pits scanned the building carefully in front of him for weaknesses and blind spots. His brilliant and cunning mind running over the decidedly nasty and vindictive plan he had weaved for the soon-to-be father and his friends.

The slightly shorter figure that crouched next to him, watched him with careful guarded eyes. On his torso, a long crimson leather jacket that reached past his knees; a black vertical stripe ran down the left and another one round both upper arms. Underneath, he sported a white t-shirt that almost the same shade as his hair. Dark jeans clung to his slim, yet toned legs; his feet encased in sturdy leather, steel-toe-cap boots that reached past his shin.

Albedo had grown tired of the look he had sported for what seemed a life time. It reminded him too much of the shadow he had to live under constantly. Although the changes were minute, they were still his and that gave him all the satisfaction he needed.

He scrutinized every twitch his new-found partner did. This version was so much different from the one he'd grown accustomed to. The person next to him was more graceful in battle, there was no corny battle puns or threats. He was silent. All his moves: calculated and deadly. Rarely was there times when he had seen the enemy make a single hit to his body and even when they did, it never left a visible mark or sign that it hurt the beast.

"Why are we sat here staring at the house instead of going in? Tennyson and his friends left hours ago"

The albino hadn't meant to question the superior beings methods, but the ingrained instinct to question everything had left him itching to find out what was going on in that twisted and psychotic mind.

He regretted it almost instantly when enraged obsidian eyes turned on him, a thick eyebrow rose dangerously. "Didn't the bug-eyed freak Azmuth or that slime-ball Vilgax teach you anything? And there was me thinking Galvan's were an intelligent race…"

The doppelgänger's face burned bright crimson with rage and embarrassment. To be truthful, he had never really bothered to understand the crazy and downright infantile attempts that the Chimera concocted. They were too long-winded and pathetic that to this day he questioned his sanity when it came to teaming up with the planet-conquer.

"You see Albie, were all the other childish and pathetic villains went wrong, is that they always barged in. They never planned or thought ahead" The dark-haired male turned back to looking towards the house, a sadistic smirk cracking across his pale features "We, however, are going to bide are time. We are going to whittle down are heroes till they are too weak to put up a fight when we attack. First it was the Ectonurite, possessing that Julie girl and cracking Tennyson to the point he was suicidal. The added bonus was the fact he took off that wretched watch of his."

Albedo immediately caught on to what the hybrid was suggesting "So, now we attacking his home. Using human stress and emotions to break him even further" he finished off, his own sadistic smirk making its way across his face.

"Exactly!" the convict confirmed "You're catching on fast Albie. I see you didn't inherit everything from the dimwit Tennyson."

The smirk all but disappeared from the albino's face at the attempted compliment from his partner. But he mused that even a heart-hearted compliment was better than none. Especially from the guy who usually hands out death threats instead of compliments.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Albedo spotted a small open window on the right side of the house. He turned to look in direction of his parnter to see if he too had seen the opening, but guessed by the look of frustration and concentration that warped his pale features, that he hadn't.

"Look on the right, just below the roof. They've left the window open. If we slide in through it and disable the Galvan security system with your powers, it should overload all the circuitry in the house, including the humans primitive motion detectors" he pointed out, thrusting a lithe finger in said windows direction.

Grinning at the little tip-bit his partner had shown, he patted the younger boy on the back in congratulations. His advance strength knocking the wind out of the boys lungs and almost causing him to topple head first off the roof ledge. Composing himself, the doppelgänger sent the older man a knowing smile.

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Your keen eye and quick thinking will prove useful in later stages. Now come, we have much work to do."

With that, he made a powerful leap towards the other roof. His lean yet strong body soaring through the air with elegance of a dove. To the Galvan, the way he cut through the air made him gape in awe. He was unable to comprehend how something so large and imposing could seem so delicate and dignified.

"Definitely not from this universe" he muttered to himself.

Shaking his head to clear the unnecessary thoughts, he followed suit, his body being bathed in a glowing red light. Within seconds he was gliding across the small expanse in his Aerophibian body. Deep crimson eyes locking on to the dark figure perched on the edge of the roof.

Landing next to the convict, Albedo morphed back to his human body. Losing his balance on the slanted roof, he pitched forward, letting out a hiss of pain as his palms scraped against the rough surface of the roof tiles.

Picking himself up and brushing the dirt off his jacket, the albino quickly glanced sideways to check that his partner had not seen his ridiculous blunder. Lucky was clearly on his side that night as the older male was staring intently at the open window before them. Sighing in relief, he crept forward slightly to peer over the edge of the roof.

"_If I was to turn into that hive creature, what did Ben call it? Ah yes 'Nanomach'. If I could turn into Nanomach, I would be able to navigate through the small window, opening it to allow the convict through. Then it would just be a simple case of disabling the security fields. This is child's play really. That Levin thinks he is such a tech master. Pfft. If only he knew what kind of things that I have seen. It would make his puny, idiotic, human mind explode"_

Shaking his head, the Galvan willed his mind to concentrate on matters at hand. Even if the thought of the smug Osmosian's head spontaneously combusting did bring a gleeful smile to his thin lips. Patience was a virtue.

Without further hesitation, or chances for his mind to get distracted, he put his silent plan into action. Closing his eyes, he willed his body to transform into the alien he wanted. Luckily for him, the genetic mutation that he had suffered due to Tennyson and his damn lackeys had yet to recede, giving even more tools to use in his mission of revenge.

In a flash of red light, he found himself hovering in the air. Mentally patting himself on the back for a good job, he flew to hover next to his partner.

"Okay. I'm going to open the window and let you in" the alien insect spoke up in his high-pitched squeaky voice. A rumbling laugh erupted from the dark-eyed male at the sound of the alien, never had he heard such a hilariously funny voice! It was like he was speaking to a chipmunk on helium!

"What!" Nanomech squeaked, causing the ex-con to burst into another round of gut-wrenching laughter.

"I'm sorry Ablie" he managed between chuckling fits "But I can, in no way, take you seriously with that downright ridiculous squeaky voice of yours"

Crossing his arms over his chest in frustration, the albino let out a tiny huff, which really just sounded like someone was deflating a tiny balloon. "Fine, I am going to go in, I'll let you know when it's safe" he spoke before flying down to the window, muttering to himself all the way about how he just had to pick the alien with a weird voice.

* * *

After Albedo had managed to open the window in his tiny form, things went smoothly. Using his inherited abilities, his partner was able to override the security system with a surge of powerful electricity, thus leaving them to wander about the domicile freely.

"Albedo!" the older male barked harshly "You check the living areas. See if you can find anything we can use as leverage against Tennyson"

Nodding in acceptance, the Galvan headed towards the kitchen. Moving swiftly along the short hallways that lead to the bedrooms, the ex-con opened the first door to his left. Walking through, he scanned the room. To his right sat the large double bed, its lavender sheets neatly made without even a crease to show they had ever been used.

'_That would be Gwendolyn's work no doubt. She always was a perfectionist" _he thought to himself bitterly. The thought of the redheaded sorceress a swirl of rare emotions through ran his powerful body. He growled at himself for being so weak as to still harbour feeling's for the girl who betrayed him and sent him to that hell-hole along with her irritating, self-righteous idiot she called a cousin.

Moving away from the bed, he headed towards the desk that rested in the right hand corner. Lying on the top was a few text books, a note pad and a few pieces of paper that had a strange language written on in fancy handwriting. Dismissing them as useless, he looked through the drawers. They consisted of make up and more textbooks, but just underneath the tubes of lip-gloss, eyeliner pencils and other stuff girls of her age liked, he spotted a glitter of gold.

Moving everything out the way, his calloused fingers closed around the fragile gold chain. Pulling it free, his dark eyes widened at he stared at he plain locket that hung in the air. Memories flashed through his mind, his stone heart that held no emotion of any sort, for the first time burst into life.

_He stared deep into her eyes, those glittering jade eyes that always looked at him with so much love and hope. But he was nothing but a monster; a freak. He didn't deserve and angel like her, not after all he had done. _

_He handed her the locket, his cold mutated hand closing around her soft one. His dark eyes bore into hers with so much sadness and remorse. He was going to let her go. He loved her too much to have her burdened down with his past and the dark future that lay in front of him. She was so much better than him, and should go with someone who could give her all things she deserved. _

"_I want you to remember me. The way I used to be…"_

_And he walked away, blocking out the sounds of her broken-hearted wails as she begged him to come back. His head was hung low as he walked back towards his car. Her figure fading into the darkness along with that last shred of happiness that he had so desperately clung to._

The mutant closed his eyes as a barrage of emotions hit him: Sadness, regret, betrayal, grief. He had given her away, so she could be happy. Broken his scarred heart for her cousin, the boy who had once been his best friend, to chuck him into the Null Void.

He clutched the locket close, his mind too fragile to do much else. So much time had passed, too much had happened for a second chance. He wasn't that same man who had left her crying in the darkness. He was a ruthless killer, a criminal mastermind. He was everything she and the Plumbers fought against.

He opened his dark eyes and shut the drawer. Placing the locket in the small pocket in his leather suit, he turned and walked out the room.

"Albedo!" he roared. He needed to get this done. He wasn't going to be weakened by the past when the future held the reward of revenge on the people who had done him wrong. He strode down the hall, his steps powerful and determined. His unlikely partner was waiting for him in the living room, a small device in his hand.

Before the ex-con had chance to open his mouth, the white-haired teen spoke up. "A tracker. I have placed in on the Galvantic Mechamorph they know as 'Ship'. This allows us to find where they've relocated to."

The villain nodded in acknowledgement and turned towards the front door. "We will need to make a hasty exit, but we also don't want to be seen. Once I have finished in here, turn into a Kineceleran and I will meet you at the warehouse."

Albedo nodded and made his way to the front door, his body morphing into the alien of his choice before he sped away from sight. Lifting up his palm, the dark-haired male conjured up a small flame "Now you will pay Tennyson" he chuckled darkly and dropped the flame to the carpet, the material instantly going up in flames.

A manic smile spread across his face as he watched the flame spread into an inferno, eating away all in its path. He was like fire; merciless and unrelenting. Taking away all that stood in his path with only ashes left.

* * *

_**A/N: Can you figure out who the villain is yet? If so, leave you answer in a review! Merry Christmas to you all and have a very happy New Year! **_

_**Miss Levin Lover**_


	29. It Never Ends

_**A/N: Would have posted earlier but had no internet. Don't know when the next chapter will be up. I'm really not in the right mind to write… **_

_**Disclaimer: Ha. You must be joking right?! **_

* * *

"Ben, You there?" Julie called out as she walked through the living room towards the kitchen where she knew her boyfriend was hiding.

Poking his head out from the doorway, Ben sent his girlfriend a loving smile "Yeah, Jules" he replied, grabbing a dishcloth to dry his hands from where he was helping his parents to dry up after lunch.

"Mum and Dad are going to give me a lift home" she told him as she began to put on her jacket. A crestfallen look appeared on the brunette's face, his lips forming into that adorable pout the tennis player couldn't resist.

"I'm sorry Ben. I'm tired and my back aches like you wouldn't believe." She explained and rubbed her growing stomach "This little guy right here seems to like making things harder for me"

The male teen let out a hearty laugh and walked towards his girlfriend "Guess he gets that from me huh?" Placing a hand on were his son was growing; he let a small smile form on his lips.

Anyone that wasn't Julie wouldn't see anything wrong with the hero, but she had known him far too long not to see the hidden meaning in his words and the sudden veil of guilt that had overtaken him.

Laying her hand on top if his, she locked her hazel eyes with his "Ben. You listen and you listen good" she demanded in the voice Ben knew not argue with. "Don't you dare start this again. I love you, unconditionally. Okay, I get angry when you make mistakes, but that wont change how I feel, because in the end it's the mind that gets mad but the heart that cares."

Ben seemed to mull over the words for a moment before giving her a grateful smile and leaning down to place a loving kiss on her forehead. He didn't want to argue with her, not after last time. They had finally worked everything out and he wasn't going to let all their work go to waste.

"What would I do without you?" he questioned with a small smirk on his face. The ebony shook her head in response "I don't know, but I'm sure it would be something stupid. You and Kevin have a bad habit of doing that"

The brunette pouted "We so don't. I'll have you know we come up with brilliant plans" he defended. The tennis player let out a disbelieving scoff "Yes, because that time you two decided to experiment with fireworks and almost ended up blowing up Kevin's garage, was such a brilliant idea." she drawled out sarcastically.

A reminiscent look took over her boyfriends as he brought back the memory. "Yeah. That was so much fun. Although, I still don't think my hair has grown back from where Kev set me alight with a sparkler" he mused. Julie let out a giggle and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Exactly. Now, be good for Sandra and Carl okay? I'll be home when you're done."

"Benjamin. I can see this drying up is getting done." Sandra called out from the kitchen. Julie let out a typical grade school "ooooh" and playfully poked her boyfriend in the chest "Full name. Someone is in trouble" she mocked in a sing-song voice.

The hero sent her a good-humoured glare in return and stuck his tongue out like he was 10 again "Sorry Mu-, I mean Sandra. I was just saying goodbye to Jules" he called back.

A few seconds later, the blonde haired woman popped her head out the doorway, a warm smile on her face as she spotted her son's girlfriend "Oh Julie! You heading home already? I was just about to get Ben's baby pictures out. He was so cute when he was a baby. I even think I've got some of him in the bath…"

The older woman sent a sly look to her son, whose face had morphed into one of pure embarrassment, much to the delight of both mother and girlfriend.

"Mom!" the brunette whined "No one wants to see my baby photos"

"I do!" chorused the voice of Kevin from the other room, followed by the sound of Gwen giggling.

"Shut it Levin!" Ben growled back to his best-friend, which was immediately met with the reply "Bite me, Tennyson!"

Giggling at the two boys, Julie moved to look at the blonde woman "I would love to Sandra, but, honestly I'm exhausted, sorry" Sandra smiled in return, waving away the apology. "It's alright sweetie. I can empathise with you there. Ben wasn't an easy one to carry. I have never eaten so many pickles in my life!"

Both erupted into giggles, with Julie gasping out "No wonder Ben loves pickles so much!"

The two continued to laugh, oblivious to the un-amused brunette who stood between them.

"Yeah, yeah, real funny. I'm guessing this is 'Pick-on-Ben Day' or something?" he huffed out and crossed his arms across his chest like an upset child.

"Yep. Serves you right for ruinin' my fun!" The voices of the Osmosian floated through from where he was sat with the hero's cousin. Ben narrowed his jade eyes in the direction of his best friend; as if the other male was able to see "Bring it Levin!" he bit back.

"Come at me bro!" was the confident reply from the dark-haired male. Stepping forward in preparation to give the pompous ass what was coming to him, he was stopped by a slim hand on his chest. Turning his gaze downwards, he was met with an unimpressed look from his girlfriend, who stood with one hand on her hip and a thin onyx eyebrow raised.

"Don't let him get to you Ben. It's your day to spend with your parents. No go on and get back to helping Sandra." She stood on her tip-toes to place a soft kiss on his lips.

"Yeah Tennyson. Listen to your girlfriend, she knows what's best for poor little ol' Benji" Kevin mocked

Ben gave his girlfriend a pleading look, jutting his bottom lip out to emphasize his point. "Julie, make him stop"

Without even turning her head, the ebony called out over her shoulder to her redheaded best friend "Gwen, would you mind?"

Not a second after, the indignant cry of "Ow! What was that for Gwen?!" was heard. Smiling down at his girlfriend, Ben placed a soft kiss on her nose. "Thank you"

Smiling back, Julie zipped up her jacket to protect her from the chilly evening air that blew outside. "Okay, I really have to go. Mum and Dad are waiting, I'll see you when you get home" Turning away, she headed out the room to where her parents were waiting.

Moving to stand beside her son, Sandra placed a slim hand on his shoulder "Come on you, the drying up is still waiting."

A disappointed sigh left the boy's lips "Ah Mom. Do I really have to do it? Can't Dad do it or something?" he moaned. The blonde laughed "Nope. Your father is busy. Unless you get your ruffian friend Kevin to help, you're on your own"

A mischievous glint lit up the brunette's emerald eyes and he rushed off into the living room, faster than if the older woman had told him there was a new Sumo-Slammers episode playing. Shaking her head at her son's antics, she went back into the kitchen, waiting for the argument that was sure to erupt between the two boys

"Dad? Were are you?" Ben called out as he walked through the house, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his royal blue jeans.

"In the lounge, Ben" his father replied almost instantaneously. Heading in the direction of his father's voice, he was relieved to see him sat alone in the living room, the evening paper clutched in his hands as his brown eyes scanned over the articles. Clearly his cousin and best-friend has already left, which made the brunet's task a lot easier.

"Err Dad, can we talk?" the hero asked nervously, taking a hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. Looking up from where he was reading, the older male sent his son a confused look "Sure, son. But remember, it's Carl not Dad" he reminded and placed his paper on the wooden table in front of him.

Moving to sit beside his father, the boy let out a long breath. He had no idea how he was going to broach the subject, let alone explain it afterwards. Telling them about the Omnitrix had been hard enough and both his parents had blown a gasket.

"Dad, this is kind of personal, so I don't want anyone else to know." he started off, turning serious green eyes to his father. Immediately the man's face sobered, his brown eyes narrowing with the gravity of his son's words.

"Ben, you know you can tell your mother and I anything and we will not judge you. We are here to help"

A small smile tugged at the hero's lips. Even with all that had happened and all the times he had screwed up, his parents still looked at him the same. He really don't know what he'd do if that ever changed.

"But…" The man carried on, a small glimmer of humour in his chocolate eyes "If this is about the fact you have started wetting the bed again, I'm letting your mother handle this one"

Within seconds of the words leaving the older Tennyson male's lips, choked laughter erupted around the room. Laughter that sounded hauntingly familiar to Ben…

Turning terrified eyes towards the entrance to the kitchen, his gaze landed on a manically grinning Osmosian, whose obsidian eyes gleamed with idea of being able to torture his best-friend with this new tip-bit he had just stumbled upon.

"Kevin?! What are you doing here? I thought you and Gwen had already left?" Ben cried. Shrugging his large shoulders, Kevin lifted his arm so the boy could see. Of course, much to the younger male's dismay, clutched in his friend's pale hand was his cousin's scarf.

"Gwen forgot her scarf, so I came back to get it" he explained, the manic grin never leaving his face. "Anyway, Mr Tennyson, what's this I hear about Benji here wetting the bed?"

Turning frantic eyes to his father, he watched as the man shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "It's perfectly natural really. But, yes Ben used to wet the bed. I think he didn't stop till almost his 14th birthday, if I'm not mistaken."

A howl of laughter almost instantly left the ex-con's lips as he leaned against the wall for support. "Dad!" Ben cried out "You weren't supposed to tell him that!"

A groan escaped his lips as he placed his head in his hands "Aw man. As if he didn't have enough to bully me about"

Patting his son on the back in a silent form of comfort, Carl flitted his gaze over to his niece's boyfriend, who was now doubled over in laughter. "I'm sure he won't bully you, son" scepticism laced every word, even with his efforts to try and sound comforting.

Peaking through his fingers, Ben sent his father a look that clearly read _"You are actually kidding, right?" _Shrugging his shoulders at his son's glare, the older Tennyson moved to pick up his paper from the table "Well, your big enough now to deal with bullies, so I leave this one to you"

Removing his head from where it was buried in his hands, Ben sent his father a withering glare before turning to his best friend "Don't you have somewhere to be, Levin" he snapped. Straightening himself up into standing position, the ebony glared at the hero, that smug grin never waning "Alright _Benji _no need to get _pissy_!"

Another round of snickers erupted from the Osmosian "Pissy, whew, I do make myself chuckle" he chortled and began to head toward the front door. Just as he reached it, he turned back to the boy perched on the sofa, obsidian eyes a-glow with mischief as his friend glared holes into his skull "Just remember Tennyson, your car seats are dry-clean only, so make sure you go potty before you leave"

Kevin just about made it through the door before the game controller had chance to come in contact with his head.

* * *

It was 4 in the afternoon when Ben had finally managed to escape his mother's clutches with the promise he and Julie would visit soon. Waving to his parent's as he pulled out of the driveway, he began the arduous journey home.

Pulling up at a stop light, he let his mind wonder. So much had happened and so much had changed. It was terrifying to know that in a few short months, he was going to be a father. In fact, Kevin seemed to be handling the situation better than he was. Which, considering the older males track record, was a quite a feat.

But like Gwen had pointed out when they broke the news, he was still very much a child himself. Yes he could handle the responsibility, but he also knew he had a tendency to become oblivious, over-confident and retreat into his shell when he felt the pressure of everything get on top of him. He didn't want to do that to Julie and certainly not to his child. He wanted to prove to everyone he could step up to the challenge. But he couldn't change who he was, it was ingrained.

Groaning in frustration at the headache that was beginning to bloom within his skull, he leant forward to rest his head on the steering wheel. Now he understood why his parents were stressed all the time; this grown up stuff was hard!

The blaring screech from a car behind him shook him out of his revere. Moving back into sitting position, he noticed that the lights had turned green and he had created a line of traffic behind him. Smiling sheepishly into the rear-view mirror as if the other drivers would see, he pulled away.

Looking up through the windscreen as he drove along, the brunette noticed a huge plume of smoke rising from the direction of his home. Immediately a bad feeling began to swell up in his stomach, his mind racing through every possible scenario.

He slammed his foot down on the accelerator, the engine roaring with untamed power as he lurched forward. He took little notice of the speedometer as he zipped through the traffic, pushing his car to the max. He was almost certain he was breaking about 100 road laws, but couldn't bring himself to care.

Horns and sirens blared around him as he continued to speed down the roads, but they were a dull roar as he concentrated solely on the rising smoke that hung in the air, blocking out the afternoon sun.

After a few minutes of manic driving, but what really felt like hours, the car drifted round the corner to his street. His heart stopped in his chest and his eyes went wide as he gazed upon his home being eaten away by blazing flames.

As soon as he was close enough, he stopped the car and flung open the driver's door before sprinting towards his burning home. Immediately he was choked by the thick fumes as he fought his way forward desperately. He stopped short when a sudden crushing thought hit him:

Julie.

* * *

_**A/N: Yes a cliff-hanger, because I'm just that evil. Don't forget to give love to that little box right down there. Yes, that one right there.**_


	30. Let It Burn

_**A/N: I am still alive, if only barely. I know many of you would belive that after the sad ending of Benlie, I would no longer want to write for the pairing anymore. But, I am still determined to carry on and finish these stories. I will not let the fandom die dammit! *Raises fist in the air triumphantly*. **_**_  
_**

_**Disclaimer: Benlie Forever Homies! **_

* * *

Ben ran forward, shoulder tilted down as he braced himself to barge down the thick wooden door barring his entrance into his burning home. Slamming into it with full strength, he felt the weakened hinges give way under the power, causing it to smash to the floor with an almighty crash and send blazing pieces of ash into his face.

Lifting his arm to try to protect himself, he rushed forward, his body immediately being battered by the thick smoke that seemed to cloud everything. He felt his lungs begin to burn as he inhaled the deadly concoction of gases. Waving his free arm wildly to try to clear some of the smoke that swirled around him, he narrowed his stinging emerald eyes to try to make out anything in his blurry vision.

Stumbling forward into the intense flames, he began to repeatedly call out to her, only pausing to cough to try to relive his heaving lungs and parched throat, in the hopes that Julie would hear his voice over the crackling flames and make a sound to help him find her in the blazing inferno that had once been their home.

Subconsciously knowing he was heading towards the two bedrooms, Ben did his best to try to shield himself from the flames that licked at his bare flesh and this cotton clothes, threatening to engulf him like everything else that stood in its path. Reaching the door to the first bedroom, he lifted his right leg. Putting all of his depleting strength into it, he kicked it down. Only to be met with a blazing 6ft wall of scolding flames and falling debris from the crumbling structure. Staggering back, he felt his back slam against the wall behind him, knocking the air out of his lungs as rubble and the blaze continued to rain down on him, burning his skin. Letting out a silent cry of pain, he back peddled down the way he came.

Ducking into was he assumed was the living room, Ben took in gulps of what little oxygen he could. Heart hammering in his chest and his brain swimming with the unnatural amount of carbon monoxide he was unknowingly inhaling, he carried on battling through the ever thickening wall of smoke, the desperation to find his missing girlfriend pushing him onwards into what could ultimately be his demise.

Everything around him was ablaze as Ben shuffled forward, angry flames casting eerie shadows across the slowly blacking walls and ceiling. They seemed to taunt him, closing in before receding slightly and repeating the process as they inched ever closer to wrapping around him in a deadly blanket.

He called out her name, his failing lungs and dry throat making it more of a croak that was instantly swept away by the roar of the fire. A small movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Turning in its direction, he was able to make out a tiny green and black blob, cowering away from the burning debris that had him trapped in a tiny corner.

Calling out the creature's name, he saw its face light up in recognition and heard it happily begin to chirp its name repeatedly in what he figured was relief. It hesitated slightly before leaping into Ben's awaiting arms, clearly happy to be saved.

"Ship, have you seen Julie?" he asked the wiggling alien, who was rubbing his head against the boys chin contentedly. Tilting his head as if he was thinking, he began to cry out his name. Enthusiastically. Letting out frustrated huff at the lack of information, he headed in what he assumed to be the direction of the kitchen, praying he would find some sort of clue to where Julie could be.

He continued on forward, his pace slow due to the unbearable heat and his weakened body. Ben knew he didn't have long until he either passed out from the injuries he had sustained or the lack of oxygen. He had a few minutes at most, then, just like everything else, he would be at mercy to the fire.

Staggering deeper into the inferno, Ben felt his hope of finding his pregnant girlfriend begin to fade, leaving only bitter despair at the fact he had once again been unable to save her. His eyes swam with tears, he would say it was from the smoke if anyone queried it later, but he felt grief knot his stomach, draining the last of his strength and causing him to fall to his knees.

He'd failed her again; he'd been too slow, too clumsy. If only he hadn't taken off the watch, if only he had listened to her…

An ominous groaning caught his internal monologue short, snapping his watering emerald eyes up to the ceiling, he watched in horror as the wooden support beams began to give way against the heat. Scrambling to his feet, he looked around for a way to escape, but to his utter dismay, the front door was now blocked with the flames, leaving his only way of escape through the small window to his left.

Bracing himself for the pain he was sure was about to come, he charged for the window, the glass smashing as he barreled through, the sharp shards ripping into his skin as the roof gave way not seconds after. Rolling slightly from the force of his leap, he cried out pain as the pieces of glass dug deeper into his legs and arms.

Breathing laboured and body crying out in agony, he desperately tried to drag himself away from house into a safe distance. But his body refused to respond and he could feel himself beginning to drift into blissful unconsciousness. As he slowly descended into darkness he could faintly make out the sound of sirens closing in, and voices of concerned neighbours crying out among the roar of the flames behind him.

But if by some twist of cruel fate, he swore he could hear Julie, her voice yelling out to him, begging him for something he couldn't quite make out. But before he could try to figure out if it was real or not, his consciousness was swept away.

* * *

_**A/N: Dun...Dun...Duuunnn! Is Julie still alive? Will Ben stil be alive? Or am I so cruel as to kill both of them off in one chapter? Only I know the answer to that *Insert evil laugh* **_


	31. AN

Yes this is an Authors Note not a chapter, I apologize if you thought differently.

I want to assure you all that I am continuing with this story. I know my updates are slow and I really should update more often, but unfortunately real-life is cutting badly into my writing time. Plus, I have been diagnosed with chronic depression, which limits my concentration and my motivation to do anything I previously found interesting, Added to that, if I really FORCE myself to write, it comes out nowhere near to the standard that it should, which you as loyal readers shouldn't have to be put through. As a testament to my loyalty to you and this story, I am posting a short preview of the next chapter that I am working on to give you a small taster of what it going to happen next.

Also, I have re-readd earlier chapters of this, and have come to the decision that I am going to re-write this shambles I call a story. Have no fear, I will still be updating and keeping the story going, but I am also going to re-write. The basic premise will stay the same, but the chapter contents will. Over the years I have written, my style has greatly improved, thanks to the help of ETNRL4L who gives me so much behind the scenes support I practically class her as family.

I hope you will understand and I hope you enjoy the preview. Thank you very much for your support and time.

All the best

Miss Levin Lover

_Preview_

"_He__'__s stable, but his body has sustained several injuries that will take a few weeks to heal properly. We suggest he stays in hospital over night for observation.__"_

_Hospital? Was he really beaten that bad? Or maybe he wasnt__ beaten. Was there an accident? Lifting an arm up to rub at his stinging eyes, he hissed at the pain that surged through his veins. Okay, so moving hurt, a lot. Clearly whatever happened was bad enough for him to be seriously injured and taken to hospital. But what? _

_Tuning back into the conversation that he guessed was taking place outside his hospital room door, he hoped he could find out some more information on what exactly happened to get him bed ridden. _

"_They have no idea what caused the fire, but he was found laying on the front lawn unconscious. They say he was lucky to make it out alive. The gas tank exploded not long after.__"_

_Fire? What fire__…__? Oh god! The house! Julie! _

_It all came flooding back; fighting through the fire, calling out her name, the despair he felt when he couldnt__find her. She had to be okay, he couldnt__ live with himself if he had let her die. Not again, he couldnt__ go through that again__…_

_Dragging himself up into sitting position, he grabbed his head at it began to thud with pain. Opening his hazy emerald eyes, he found himself in a hospital room, the bright white walls increasing the pain in his head. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he desperately tried to ignore the searing agony that seemed to shoot through every fibre of his being. _

_Pushing himself of the bed, he felt the cold tiled floor against his feet. Dizziness and nausea immediately slammed into him, causing him to stagger forwards, pulling on the IV and cords to what he realised was a heart monitor that stood beside his bed. Taking in deep breaths to try to stave off the nausea that was turning his stomach inside and out, he began the painful task of detaching himself from the various machines he was hooked up to. _


	32. Recovery

**_A/N: So, I managed to finish a chapter. Which in my eyes is a great feat seeing what little time I actually have to myself anymore. Also to anyone who is following 'Knowledge' I have half the next chapter written and the other half down on paper. _**

**_To ETNRL4L: I deeply apologize for my lack of reviewing on your recent chapters. My mother and I have recently been having disagreement's about internet usage and electricity which has resulted in loss of use. As soon as I can I will review each one. _**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the watch on my wrist. _**

* * *

_Over here! Teenaged male, several deep lacerations, 3__rd__ degree burns possible concussion and spinal injury. _

_Pulse is weak, body severely dehydrated. We need to get an IV into him stat, and stem the bleeding before he bleeds out._

_We need a body board over here pronto! _

_Stay with me son, you're in good hands now…_

_Beep…beep…beep…_

* * *

Oh god! What was that damned sound? His head was pounding like a jack hammer and that annoying beeping really wasn't helping. And man was he SORE! Whoever he had fought had clearly managed to beat two kinds of stuffing out of him that's for sure.

Groaning at the pain that seemed to thrum round his body, he attempted to turn his head away from the sound, but the searing pain that shot down his neck at the movement stopped him in his tracks. Sighing in defeat, he cracked an emerald eye open to try to get a bearing on his surroundings, only to slam it shut again at the intense light that caused his migraine to worsen.

Furring his eyebrows, he tried to think back to what had exactly happened to get him in such a sorry state. As far as he could remember, there hadn't been a big invasion, and none of his old enemies had got him back. Man, this headache was making the task extremely difficult!

Huffing in defeat, he tried to listen to the noises around him to see if they held any clues to where he could be. Apart from the annoying beeping that continued to ring in his ears, he could hear the sounds of different voices both male and female.

"He's stable, but his body has sustained several injuries that will take a few weeks to heal properly. We suggest he stays in hospital over night for observation."

Hospital? Was he really beaten that bad? Or maybe he wasn't beaten. Was there an accident? Lifting an arm up to rub at his stinging eyes, he hissed at the pain that surged through his veins. Okay, so moving hurt, a lot. Clearly whatever happened was bad enough for him to be seriously injured and taken to hospital. But what?

Tuning back into the conversation that he guessed was taking place outside his hospital room door, he hoped he could find out some more information on what exactly happened to get him bed ridden.

"They have no idea what caused the fire, but he was found laying on the front lawn unconscious. They say he was lucky to make it out alive. The gas tank exploded not long after."

Fire? What fire…? Oh god! The house! Julie!

It all came flooding back; fighting through the fire, calling out her name, the despair he felt when he couldn't find her. She had to be okay, he couldn't live with himself if he had let her die. Not again, he couldn't go through that again…

Dragging himself up into sitting position, he grabbed his head at it began to thud with pain. Opening his hazy emerald eyes, he found himself in a hospital room, the bright white walls increasing the pain in his head. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he desperately tried to ignore the searing agony that seemed to shoot through every fibre of his being.

Pushing himself of the bed, he felt the cold tiled floor against his feet. Dizziness and nausea immediately slammed into him, causing him to stagger forwards, pulling on the IV and cords to what he realised was a heart monitor that stood beside his bed. Taking in deep breaths to try to stave off the nausea that was turning his stomach inside and out, he began the painful task of detaching himself from the various machines he was hooked up to.

The IV was the last thing he pulled out, hissing at the burning sensation that bloomed from the area as he began to pull out the long needle that was pumping liquids into his obviously dehydrated body. Blood immediately pooled from the hole in his skin, dripping down his long fingers in a steady flow and leaving a small puddle on the clean floor beneath him.

Chucking away the tube and the painful needle, he hesitantly stepped forward, testing out whether his wobbly legs could bear to hold his weight. Satisfied he wasn't going to fall over in the next couple of steps, he hobbled towards the door, his muscles screaming in pain as he did so. He pushed it to the back of his mind though, all he concentrated on was finding his girlfriend and making sure she was still alive and he hadn't let her die.

Alarms and sirens wailed from the machines behind him, alerting the surrounding doctors and nurses of his escape attempt. Knowing he didn't have long till he was found and forced to get back into bed with or without sedation, he quickened his pace. Switching between hobbling and limping, he made his way down the long white corridor, leaving a long crimson trail from his bleeding hand on the floor.

"Mr Tennyson!" A nurse called from behind him, and he could hear her quick footsteps as she hurried to catch him. Not even bothering to turn to see how far away she was, he quickened his pace, his body crying in agony as his damaged limbs and muscles were forced to move.

Stumbling through a pair of double doors, he paused for a second to try to catch his breath and gather his bearings. But with his head swimming and his eyesight becoming increasingly blurry, it was a losing battle.

With blood continuing to flow down his arm in a river of crimson, he staggered on, adrenaline and desperation flooding his veins and pushing him forward. Suddenly, he felt a strong hand wrap around his forearm, pulling him to abrupt halt and causing him to cry out in pain at the strain it put on his already exhausted muscles.

Whipping round to see who had stopped him on his quest, he was met with a middle-aged doctor, his deep chestnut eyebrows drawn in irritation and concern, making the blue in his eyes go a shade darker.

"Mr Tennyson, you are in no condition to be walking the halls of this hospital, if you do not return your bed in this instance, I will be forced to call security and have you sedated." He snapped, his tone laced with annoyance.

Knowing that the doctor would come through with his threat if he was not to comply and he was too weak to try to force him off his self, Ben done the next best thing he could think off in his clouded brain.

Throwing his head forward, he registered the sickening crunch of bone as his skull came in contact with the doctor's nose, causing him to cry out in pain and clutch his bloody broken nose. Staggering back and holding his thudding his head, Ben turned and continued on, taking a quick glance back at the doctor to make sure he was okay.

It was only a matter of time before everyone came looking for him and dragged him back to his bed, and most likely strap him to it to stop him escaping again. He needed to head in a different direction, get them off his tail so he could figure out how exactly to get out of this place. Barreling through a pair of doors to his left, he hoped to come across a ward of some kind so he could find a sign to lead him to the exit.

Still clutching his thumping head, he looked around, blurry eyesight making it had to see the finer details, but he could immediately tell he was in waiting room of some sorts, Chairs lined the walls and a small desk sat to his left were a bored looking receptionist sat flipping through a magazine.

'_A waiting room? This must mean an exit is near by! I need to find Grandpa, he will know what happened, I hope…' _

Staggering forward a few steps, he felt nausea begin to creep its way back up his throat and his lungs begin to burn from the exertion of before. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea he upped and left. The chances were he would black out in some dingy alleyway before he even got half way to Max's RV.

"Ben! Oh my gosh, Ben!" he heard his cousins voice cry out to him in panic. He tried to spot her in the waves of vertigo and blurriness that was attacking his vision, but it was no avail.

"He's over here! Julie, come quick!" she called out again, obviously to the people behind her. Upon hearing his girlfriend's name, Ben's mind went into overdrive. He hobbled forward in the direction he heard his cousin's voice, squinting his eyes to try to spot her.

"J…li.." he croaked, vocal cords and lungs too damaged from the smoke inhalation to form the full word. Were was she? She had to be here she just had to…

All of a sudden he felt a thin pair of arms wrap around his shoulders, steadying him and causing him to stop in his tracks. Brows furrowing in confusion, he looked down, only to be met with the blurry silhouette of his pregnant girlfriend.

* * *

Ben had looked like a state when she had first laid eyes on him. His face was pale, almost ghostly white, eyes blood-shot and red-rimmed. His whole body seemed to shake with the effort of just standing upright and blood dribbled down his hand in a steady flow. Bandages were wrapped around his legs and arms, his caramel locks mused and singed. Never before had she seen him in such a terrible way, and knowing how close to death he had actually been made her blood run cold in her veins.

As she moved closer she could see the vacant look in his deep emerald eyes, as if he wasn't all there. He seemed to be in a panic, as if he was looking for something or _someone._ Moving as fast as she could, she wrapped her arms around his neck, face pressed into his chest. It seemed to take a few seconds longer than it should have for him to recognise her, but she put it down to the minor blindness he had suffered due to the fire. She was just glad to see him alive, albeit in a very poor state.

Suddenly she felt his arms wrap around her, almost crushing her to him. His body began to vibrate, and she just make out the sound of muffled sobs from were he had buried his face in her hair.

"I t…ough…t I l…st …ou" he wheezed, chest heaving as he tried to take in gasps of air between sobs. "I coul… ind…yo…ire too…ot"

Julie squeezed him tighter, knowing exactly how he felt. When she had arrived at the house, only to find her boyfriend strapped to a gurney covered in blood and soot, being rushed into an ambulance, she had feared the worst. No way could someone survive such a fierce and destructive fire. But she had forgotten just how strong her boyfriend, the saviour of the universe, really was.

"I know, I know" she cooed, pulling away to stroke his pale face lovingly "But I'm okay, I'm here. I'm not going to leave your side."

He smiled down her, pale face brightening slightly and his body instantly relaxing. He brought a hand up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, his voice barely above a whisper "I…ove…ou"

"I love you too" Julie replied earnestly. Without warning, the hero's eyes rolled back into his skull, body slumping forward. Julie quickly caught him before he could fall to the floor, but being heavier than her, even more so now he was unconscious, she was struggling to hold him.

"Kevin!" She cried to the dark-haired male who stood in the corner, talking to the boys red-haired cousin. Snapping his head in the direction of his best-friends girlfriend, he spotted her struggling to hold his unconscious body and rushed over to help. Easily picking up the boy's limp body, he rushed through the double doors in front of them, hoping to find a doctor or someone to help, Gwen and Julie hot on his heels.

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_**A/N: Please review, it will help spur me on to carry on the next chapter :) **_


	33. Nightmares

_**A/N: I apologize for the wait for me to update, things have been a little difficult lately. But since it was my bithday on the 18th I was given a few day of from work to celebrate. Instead I used the time to finish this off. There will only be a few more chapters to this before it is completed. **_

_**Disclaimer: Pfftt...**_

* * *

Familiar faces lined his room as he listened to the annoyed looking doctor as he flipped through the hero's charts. Coincidently it was the same doctor his had brutally head butted in his earlier escape attempt. He now sported two black eyes and bandages across his clearly broken nose and he glared hatefully at the boy who had caused all the trouble.

"Mr Tennyson will be required to stay in the hospital for a few more days until the worst of his wounds have cleared up. It would have been sooner if not for his escapades earlier this afternoon" Ben smiled sheepishly at the doctor, croaking out a barely audible apology.

"We also recommend that he does not use his voice. His vocal cords and windpipe sustained pretty serious burns from the smoke inhalation and his lungs are still trying to filter out the large amount of carbon monoxide"

Kevin couldn't help but crack a grin, even given the situation "So your telling me I won't have to hear him whine anymore?" He joked to the doctor, ignoring the holes being burned into the back of his head by the other 3 occupants of the room.

Bringing his hand up to rub his throbbing eyes, the doctor just let out a tired sigh, wondering why the hell he was forced to see to such a difficult group of people.

"But, he is going to be alright" a timid voice asked, and all eyes turned to the worried looking ebony who sits by the side of her boyfriends bed, clutching his hand in a vice like grip, as if he would disappear in a seconds moment.

Smiling at her, he lowered his clipboard and answered in the most sincere voice he could muster, hoping it would subdue her clear concerns for the boys health. "He will be fine. Just time and rest is all he needs and he will be back playing hero in no time."

Julie sends a meek smile his way "thank you doctor"

He nods his head and swiftly makes his exit out the room, sensing there was a lot to be discussed among the group.

* * *

Turning to his friends, Ben gives a lopsided grin, that is swiftly followed by a racking coughing fit that seems to make his whole body shake with effort. Soothingly rubbing his back, like a mother would a child, Julie sends a worried glance to her comrades who match it with their own.

"You okay Ben?" The redhead questions, emerald eyes watching every ragged breath of air that entered his battered lungs and he recovers from the bout of painful coughing. He nods slowly, scared to move his head too much for the throbbing that resonated through his skull. "I'm fine, like doc said a few days rest and I'll be up and moving again" he croaks out reassuringly, wincing at the stinging sensation that shot up his throat.

"Ben, the doctor told you not to use your voice" Julie chides gently, bringing her shaking hand to brush away a few strands of his chestnut hair. It wasn't if they were blocking his view, it was to comfort her fear, to show herself he really was say next to her, awake and still in one piece. After watching him being carted away, so many scenarios had flashed through her mind, each one worse than the one before.

The brunette flashes her a quick apologetic smile, squeezing her hand gently to communicate what her couldn't say in words.

_"As long as you are safe, nothing else matters" _

She gives him a warm smile and leans down to press a soft kiss to his temple. Her eyes begin to burn with tears as she pulls away, and it takes everything inside her to stop them from trailing down her alabaster cheeks.

"Well this blows" Kevin interrupts, crossing his arms over his chest, in annoyance. Everyone glared at him for the insensitive comment, but the burley teen ignored them, carrying on. "Everything we had was in that house, now what are we going to do? No way we are going to be able to get another house like that for a while"

"That's true" the redhead agrees, turning back to face her cousin and best friend "we could always move back to our parents till we find a new place."

Frowning at his cousins suggestion as he works it over in his mind, he looks around to see if there was anything he could write on to save him using his voice and a possible telling off from the doctors. Seeing what her boyfriend was looking for, Julie pulls out a notebook and pen from her bag and hands it to him, shrugging off the quizzical looks from the others

"You never know when you might need one" Quickly scribbling down his response, he turns the notepad around so everyone one could see it "But what about Julie?" Gwen reads, squinting to see the small handwriting.

"What about me?" Julie questions, dark brows furrowing as she turns to her friends to see if they have any clue as to what the brunette was referring to. Huffing out a breath, he writes again, already growing annoyed at his lack of being able to communicate with people.

"You and your parents aren't exactly on best terms at the moment, even if you did forgive them" she reads out when he turns the pad round again. "He's got a point" she says and looks at Gwen "I may have forgiven my parents, but I don't know if I could live back with them again"

"Okay, that's a slight problem. Maybe you could live with me for a while? I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind" she paused for a second, thinking about her suggestion and her in-depth knowledge of her mothers down right snobbish behaviour when it came to people she categorised as 'Less civilised'

"Well she might, but Dad would be happy help" she rectified, frowning inwardly at the vision she had conjured of her mother refusing to let Julie stay because of her 'condition'. Shaking it off she turned to her boyfriend, her brows knitted in their usual way when she was trying to solve a problem. "Do you think you could move back with your mum for a couple of weeks?"

Kevin thinks for a moment "I would have thought so, I mean she did say that if I had any trouble I could stay for a bit till I was sorted. But I wouldn't want to be a burden"

Gwen watched as a spectrum of negative emotions flashed through her boyfriend's endless obsidian pits. Ranging from disappointment, regret and shame. She knew his mother meant the world to him, and to once again load her with his troubles would be a last resort. "Maybe you won't have to, I'm sure we could find you another place to stay" she tried, placing a slim on his shoulder to try to soothe him.

The Osmosian let out a humorless snort, well toned arms coming up to cross over his muscled chest. "Oh yeah, because your mother, who I would like to point out wouldn't cross the road to spit on me if I was on fire, would love to have me stay at yours" he bit back dryly.

Quickly jotting down something on his pad, Ben waved it in the air to try to catch their attention. But his efforts went unseen as the couple continued to bicker. Growling in frustration, only to wince at the pain that shot down his throat from the use of his vocal cords, he tapped his girlfriend on the shoulder to divert her attention back to him. Upon her hazel eyes meeting his bright jade, he showed her the pad.

"Kevin could stay with me" she read out, loud enough so the other teens could hear. Turning away from each other to face them, Gwen's face lit up in a smile. "Perfect! Julie can stay with me and Kev, you can stay with Ben. All sorted." She said and clapped her hands, stopping the dark-haired male from making any complaints.

Grumbling at the fact he was going to have suffer with seeing Tennyson every second of the day, he shot a look at the clock on the wall to his left. Noticing they only had a few minutes left until visiting time was over and they would be forced out by the grumpy nurse that had been less than helpful in telling them were exactly their friend had been taken, he looked back over the pregnant ebony, who seemed to be lost in the recesses of her mind as she idly traced shapes on the back of the brunette's hand. He felt sympathy for the poor girl. In the past few months she had been through more than anyone. And yet she still stayed strong, still managed to keep a smile on her face.

He admired her courage, and although he would never say it out loud, especially in front of his best-friend of all people, he didn't think their was anyone who could match with the brunette better than she did. Kevin just hoped that Ben would keep making sure that she knew it.

"Hey guys, I hate to be rain on the parade, but in about 5 seconds Miss 'Full of the joys of spring' nurse is going to come kick us out. So we better make a move" The disappointed look that ghosted over the Asian-Americans features made him regret telling them, but he knew it was for the best. The girl needed rest and something to eat, not to sit in a hard plastic chair for hours on end.

"You be careful now okay" Julie whispered, giving his hand a squeeze "and do as the doctors tell you, no more trying to escape" she orders, eyebrows knitting together as she remembers the earlier fiasco. Ben gives a mischievous grin, clearly communicating he wasn't going to make any promises.

"We'll be back tomorrow Ben, do as Julie says okay?" His cousin speaks up giving him what both he a Kevin called 'The mum look'. Grin never leaving his wan, pale features he nods condescendingly, only causing his cousin to huff in aggravation at his childish antics.

"Doofus" she muttered under her breath, shooting him a withering glare.

Kissing him gently on the forehead, the ebony gets off her seat and regrettably makes her way to the others. "See ya Tennyson" Kevin calls as they begin to shuffle out the room.

With one last worried glance from his girlfriend, they were gone, leaving Ben alone in the room. Sighing to himself and wishing he could have gone with them, he let his tired eyes slide closed and pain-racked body relax.

* * *

Two figures hovered by a hospital window, their bodies unable to be seen by the naked eye due to their inherent alien blood that surged through the human like veins.

They both watched intently at the group of teens conversing in the room before them, each staying eerily quiet as they studied them like a hungry lion would its prey.

It was several moments before the male in the form of a race of aliens called Necrofriggians spoke up, icy wisps of air leaving it mouth with every word. "What now? Tennyson is immobilized, it would be the perfect opportunity to strike."

The other figure hushed his partner with a raised hands, dark eyes never leaving the teens he was intently studying. "Patience is a virtue, Albie. Yes, you are correct in deducing that this would be an opportune moment to attack. But, we don't want to just attack him. We want to break him, shatter his very being. He will be a shell of the hero he thought he was, once I have finished with him"

His tone was laced with such cruel hatred, such desire to watch his enemy crumble, it sent glorious shivers down the albino's spine.

"I see. So what now?" He questioned, neon green eyes bright with curiosity.

"We wait until his friends have left. Then we go in." He replied "it shouldn't be long now... "

Nodding in acknowledgement he turned back to face the window. He watched silently as the dark-haired girl to the hero's left lovingly brushed away his hair and place a soft kiss to his forehead. The sight sent an unusual feeling through his chest, one he had never fully experienced before. It wasn't the usual hatred or resentment he felt, but something akin to desire, a need to be the one she was doing it too. He frowned inwardly to himself, unable to figure out just why he felt like this, especially towards the very female they were trying to eradicate.

He shook it off, putting it down to fickle human emotions and tried to concentrate on the intricate plan in motion. A few moments later they left, leaving the injured teen alone.

The doppelgänger turned to his partner, waiting for his signal to move in. A crooked smile split the villains features as he seemed to melt into the wall, only to then reappear on the other side. He silently strode towards the unconscious teen, his posture uncaring as to any passers-by that might spot him in the room.

Following his partners movements, the Galvan fazed through the wall, reverting to his human form on the other side. But unlike the male in front of him, he was wary of his surroundings. Too many times his plan had been thwarted by some unexpected civilian walking in and disrupting his plans.

Upon reaching the bed that housed the sleeping brunette, Albedo watched with child like curiosity as the dark-haired male placed both index fingers on the boys temples, eyes squinting shut as he concentrated on delving into the hero's mind.

A coy smile rose to his lips not even a minute after as the boy beneath him begin to whimper pathetically, his eyes screwing closed as sweat beaded on his forehead at the intrusion. His breathing became rapid, his whole body convulsing in fear as he tried to fight what ever nightmare he had been plunged into. The hero's hand balled in the sheets, knuckles going a deathly shade of white as he gripped them with all his strength.

"No!" the boy cried quietly, eyebrows furrowing in what appeared to be pain "Julie!"

Removing his fingers, the villain stepped back, admiring his work as the his enemy's body continued to writhe in agony and terror as he got sucked deeper into the obviously terrible nightmare he had been forced into.

"Come Albie" The escaped con ordered to the albino, turning back to head towards the window they had entered through "We shall leave him to suffer within in own mind and body, just like the way he made us" he spat venomously, tone laced with disgust as he thought about his previous encounters with the hero.

The former Galvan followed obediently, only sparing one last glaciers at the brunette as he thrashed within the hold of his dream, before fading through the wall without a trace.

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**_A/N: Don't forget to review and thank you for reading :) _**

**_Miss Levin Lover :) _**


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